(KERO) — Higher prices and surging COVID cases didn't keep people from spending this holiday season. Mastercard Spending Pulse reports holiday sales rose 8.5-percent from last year and nearly 11-percent from 2019.
The results measured spending between November first through Christmas Eve.
Online sales rose 11-percent from last year and 61-percent from 2019.
The two categories that saw the highest increases in spending were clothing and jewelry.
The National Retail Federation will release its report for November and December sales next month.
Discounts should start popping up in the coming days. Holiday discounts were delayed due to supply chain issues.
Some stores won't receive inventory until after the holidays and they'll want to get rid of it. Dataweave, a retail data analytics firm, predicts we'll start seeing more in January. Some of the products discounted include, chocolates, boots, watches, and parkas.
