Did Americans Go Christmas Shopping? A Look At US Retail Sales For COVID Economy

While Christmas and holiday shopping might have looked a little differently this year, Americans still managed to partake in retail therapy -- just not in brick and mortar stores.

Many major retailers started their holiday sales at the end of October and into November. Instead of in-store deals, retailers heavily promoted cyber sales due to the pandemic.

Retail sales throughout the U.S. rose 3% in 2020 between the months of October and December, according to data from Mastercard Inc.

Mastercard also reported that e-commerce sales alone increased by 49% this year.

In all, e-commerce sales soared over in-store sales. The online shopping options, which helped make up 19.7% of total sales over the year, include pick-up-in-store, curbside pickup and contactless delivery.

Some think that the trend of buying and shopping online will continue into the new year, especially if COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Reuters reported.

As for categories that saw increased sales during this pandemic, furniture and furnishings take the cake. These specific sales saw a 16.2% increase.

Another category that deemed popular includes electronics and appliances, which increased by 6%.

“It’s a very healthy number” given the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, Steve Sadove, senior adviser for Mastercard and former chief executive officer of Saks Inc., said in an interview. “That shows me the American consumer is highly resilient.”