Report: U.S. retail sales rise 3.5% during holiday season

PURCHASE, N.Y. — U.S. retail sales reportedly rose 3.5% between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, 2013 compared to the same period in the prior year. According to data from MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, sales of holiday-related categories, such as clothing, electronics and luxury goods, rose 2.3%, after rising 0.7% in 2012.



The categories of jewelry and children’s apparel showed the strongest sales improvements, while men’s and women’s apparel performed the poorest compared to the previous year. Electronics and non-jewelry luxury items reported flat sales. Discounts reportedly helped fuel holiday sales growth.