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So, How Did Retailers Fare in December?

New research from Mastercard reveals higher December sales compared to last months of 2020 and 2019
Lynn Petrak, Progressive Grocer
So, How Did Retailers Fare in December?
Fresh research from Mastercard shows that in the second pandemic holiday season, retail sales rose across several areas, including grocery.

For an end-of-year period marked by a resurgent virus, supply chain bottlenecks and inflation worries, retail sales as tracked by credit service company Mastercard wound up higher.

Mastercard’s SpendingPlus index, which measures both in-store and online sales across all payment forms, found that total retail sales (excluding auto and gas) rose 6.9% from December 2020 and were up 8.1% when stacked against December 2019.

Breaking down sales by sector, Mastercard’s data shows that grocery sales were robust as the year closed out, climbing 8.3% from December 2020 and 16.9% compared to two years ago. Categories with the biggest year-over-year gains included apparel, up 46.3%, and luxury items, up 46.8%. Not surprisingly, restaurants rebounded since the first pandemic holiday season of 2020, rising nearly 52%.

In another recently-released report, Mastercard highlighted some noteworthy trends as the new year begins, such as consumers’ growing penchant for buying from retailers that share their values and provide products in a more sustainable and inclusive way. Nearly two-thirds of consumers polled 62% said it’s more important that companies “behave in a sustainable and eco-friendly way.” The report also affirmed the importance of “phygital” innovations to shoppers as they buy both in-store and online, and projected that retailers will explore different platforms and tactics over the coming months to reach “hyper-connected” consumers.

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