U.S. holiday retail spending excluding vehicles increased 8.5% between November 1 and December 24, 2021, according to preliminary Mastercard SpendingPulse results. The December 26 release reported gains across both stores and online channels as consumers secured seasonal gifts.

Online spending grew 11%, while physical-store sales rose 8.1% compared with 2020. E-commerce represented 20.9% of total retail spending, above 20.6% in 2020 and 14.6% before the pandemic in 2019.

Mastercard said shoppers started early amid concerns about supply chains and staffing. For its extended October 11 to December 24 measurement window, retail spending grew 8.6%. The Thanksgiving weekend produced 14.1% growth, with Black Friday again the season's largest spending day.

Jewelry was among the stronger categories, while clothing and department stores also benefited from holiday demand. SpendingPulse combined Mastercard network data with estimates for other payment methods. The publication provided preliminary retail-market figures for 2021, rather than Mastercard's own revenue performance.