That means retailers managed to avoid a repeat of last year's disastrous holiday shopping results even amid tight credit and double-digit unemployment. Profits should be healthier, too, because stores had a year to plan their inventories to match consumer demand and never needed to resort to fire-sale clearances to clear shelves.
Retail sales rose 3.6 percent from Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, compared with a 2.3 percent drop in the year-ago period, according to figures from MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, which track all forms of payment, including cash.
Investor Report: New Treasury ProgramNovember retail results suggest tough run-up to holidays
