Holiday retail sales have grown by 3% this holiday season, YOY, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse analysis released on Saturday.
Online sales rose by 49% from October 11 through December 24, compared with the same period in 2019.
These numbers exclude automotive and gasoline.
In the traditional holiday period, from November 1 to Dec. 24, total retail sales (excluding auto and gas) went up by 2.4% and online sales by 49%.
E-commerce contributed 19.7% of overall retail sales during the period, versus 13.4% in 2019.
Home furniture and furnishings jumped by16.2% overall and 31% online. Home improvement sales went up by 14.1% and 79.7% online.
But apparel declined 19.1% YoY. And department stores offered an overall decline of 10.2%, while recording 3.3% growth online.
The electronics and appliances sector experience 6% growth.
Jewelry declined by 4.3% overall, but online sales rose by 44.6%. Luxury goods plummeted by 21.1%, with no online numbers reported.
“American consumers shopped from home for the home, leading to record e-commerce growth,” states Steve Sadove, senior advisor for Mastercard and former CEO and chairman of Saks Incorporated.
Sadove Adds that consumers shopped earlier than ever before, in “a uniquely 2020 way.”
Mastercard SpendingPulse measures retail sales across all payment types, including cash and check, the company says.