New York (AP) – Retail sales increased a modest 3% during a longer Christmas holiday season this year, as homebound shoppers spent more on furnishing and food but less on clothing and jewelry. That’s according to early figures released Saturday by a firm that tracks all forms of payments. The increase fell short of predictions from the National Retail Federation, which had expected sales to rise between 3.6% and 5.2% this year compared to 2019. As expected, a surge in online shopping fueled much of spending. According to Mastercard data, online sales rose 49% year-over-year between Oct. 11 and Dec. 24. That’s excluding services, automotive and gasoline sales.
