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Reuters Published December 27, 2024 Reading time
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US holiday retail sales stronger than last year, Mastercard says

By
Reuters Published
December 27, 2024

Price-conscious holiday shoppers opened their wallets for last-minute online discounts on clothing and stocking stuffers, potentially benefiting retailers that also offered such convenient options as free delivery and curbside pickup.

The popularity of online shopping has surged due to its convenience, similar or lower prices than in-store, the availability of services like "buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS)" and fast, free deliveries, said Michael Schulman, a retail expert at Running Point Capital Advisors.

"The shortened holidays season this year compared to last year, with a tighter scrunch between Thanksgiving and Christmas, also left less time for in-store retail shopping and probably incentivized more phone and computer browsing and purchases," he said.