Online sales rose a record 49 percent year-over-year between October 11 and December 24, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse figures, which exclude services, automotive and gasoline sales. The holiday shopping season was considered longer this year as retailers offered promotions sooner and encouraged customers to get a jump-start to avoid delivery delays. During the traditional holiday period, between November 1 and December 24, retail sales rose 2.4 percent year-over-year, according to Mastercard’s data. Consumers also favored electronics and appliances, a category where sales rose 6 percent. There was some payoff, as online clothing sales rose 15.7 percent, according to Mastercard.

Source: Manila Times December 27, 2020 05:48 UTC