What did holiday shopping reveal about the US economy?
ABC News••business
Key Points:
- Holiday sales in the U.S. rose 3.9% in 2025 compared to the previous year, driven by strong consumer spending despite economic concerns like slowing hiring and rising inflation.
- Digital spending surged during key shopping days, with Thanksgiving online sales up 5% to $6.4 billion and Black Friday spending increasing 9% to $11.8 billion, boosted by attractive discounts on electronics and other goods.
- Consumers favored low-cost and discounted items, with thrift shops and off-price retailers seeing significant traffic increases, while luxury and department stores experienced minimal growth.
- Despite a decline in consumer sentiment and slower spending among middle- and low-income groups, many shoppers used buy-now-pay-later plans to manage holiday
