Holiday shopping sales released

Holiday sales rose nationwide as American spending remained resilient during the critical shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent, according to one measure.

Holiday sales rose 7.6, a slower pace than the 8.5% increase from a year earlier when shoppers began spending the money they had saved during the early part of the pandemic, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards.

Last week North Dakota Retail Association President Mike Rud expressed concern about holiday sales due to the harsh winter weather keeping shoppers away for stores. Rud says there was ample inventory at retailers…it’s just a matter of having cooperative weather.