Chain store sales grew 0.9% in the week ended Dec. 24, as the conclusion of holiday shopping boosted retail sales, according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Snapshot released Wednesday.
Year over year, sales were 4.5% better than a year ago.
“As expected, holiday shopping went down to the wire as consumers took advantage of the full shopping week ahead of Christmas Day, which fell on a Sunday this year,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC vice president of research and chief economist. “Overall, this holiday season appears to have been a positive one for retailers, though there were some pockets of weakness.”