Resilient shoppers have opened their wallets and brought holiday cheer to U.S. retailers, as the industry’s biggest selling period is looking set to turn in its best scorecard in years, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Chain-store sales for the week ended Dec. 25 rose 4.8% from the year-earlier period, the best performance since April 24, according to a survey released by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs, the Journal reports.
“That last-minute holiday spending lift was aided by consumers who had more money as a result of the improving economy, more time as a result of the Friday holiday and more holiday-season excitement than in many years,” Michael Niemira, ICSC’s chief economist, told the Journal.