Black Friday continued to reign as one of the biggest shopping days of the season.
Total U.S. retail sales (excluding automotive but including restaurants) on Black Friday rose 3.4% over last year, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales representing all payment types and is not adjusted for inflation. Online retail sales increased 14.6%, while in-store sales inched up 0.7% compared to Black Friday last year.
Jewelry, electronics and apparel remain the top gift sectors for the holidays, with particular strength in e-commerce for apparel on Black Friday. To complete the outfit, spending on footwear is tracking stronger than last year at this time.
Grocery spending saw growth during the holidays as consumers feasted at home in the two weeks leading up to Black Friday. Restaurant spending on Black Friday showed particular strength.
By region, Mastercard saw spending outperform in pockets of the country, including Massachusetts, Washington D.C. and Colorado.
Mastercard SpendingPulse measures national retail sales based on aggregated and anonymized Mastercard insights, representing all payment types in select markets around the world.
Mastercard SpendingPulse defines "U.S. retail sales" as sales at retailers and food services merchants of all sizes. Sales activity within the services sector (for example, travel services such as airlines and lodging) are not included in the total retail sales figure.