Holiday retail sales rose 8.3% from 2019, according to data released by the National Retail Federation on Friday, as consumers embraced the gift-giving season as a way to cheer themselves up during the Covid pandemic.
“Faced with rising transmission of the virus, state restrictions on retailers and heightened political and economic uncertainty, consumers chose to spend on gifts that lifted the spirits of their families and friends and provided a sense of normalcy given the challenging year,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, in a statement.
