Holiday retail sales climb 7.9%, survey says

Early signs point to a healthy holiday season for retailers.

Retail sales from Black Friday to Christmas Eve rose 7.9% compared with last year, according to a survey from MasterCard SpendingPulse.

The results, based on MasterCard spending activity and estimates of cash and check spending, did not include dollar amounts for the holiday season.

E-commerce was the biggest winner, growing about 20% over last year, the survey said.

Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president of market insights for MasterCard Advisors, said there were signs that shoppers were eager to spend, including double-digit growth in furniture sales.

That shows “consumers are willing and able to splurge on big-ticket items,” she said in a statement.

Other categories also rose. Apparel sales grew in the high single-digits, the survey said. A decline in men’s apparel was offset by double-digit growth on the women’s side.

The National Retail Federation, a trade group, forecasts that sales during November and December will climb 3.7% to $630.5 billion, slightly below the 4.1% growth of last year.

Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity, making retail sales a strong gauge of the nation’s economic health.

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