US Retail Sales See Holiday Spike in December

US consumer spending surged in December as the holiday shopping season continued.

Revenue improved 1.2% compared to November and 3.5% year on year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said Monday.

“December Retail Monitor data saw a sharp surge in growth as consumers continued prioritizing holiday spending on family and friends,” said NRF CEO Matthew Shay. “Continued economic momentum helped land 2025 holiday sales near the top of NRF’s forecast, reaffirming that consumers remain on solid footing.”

Sales climbed year on year in December in six of the nine categories the NRF monitors. The clothing and accessories segment — which encompasses jewelry — rose 6% year on year and increased 2% from the previous month. Building and garden supplies dropped 5% year on year, while furniture slipped 0.8% and electronics slid 0.1% compared to 2024.

December retail data was not yet available from the US Census Bureau, which is behind on releasing its results due to the two-month government shutdown.

The late Thanksgiving in 2025 pushed Cyber Monday into December, boosting the month’s holiday spending. Retail Monitor data showed a full-year increase of 4.1% compared with 2024. Retail Monitor bases its figures on anonymized credit and debit card transaction data from Affinity Solutions.

Image: People at a shopping mall. (Shutterstock)