NRF says the US 2021 holiday retail sales made year-over-year increase of 14.1%

Both the NRF and the U.S. Census Bureau report that retail sales for the 2021 holiday season made year-over-year gains when compared to 2020. The NRF says that sales during the tracked holiday season of November/December spiked 14.1% over 2020. The record $886.7 billion beat expectations and forecasts, which predicted growth between 8.5% to 10.5%. The U.S. Census Bureau — which tracks data using different methodology — reported a 16.9% year-over-year spike on sales in December, but notes that the number was down slightly from November.