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Several factors positively influenced the retail landscape during the holiday season. A late Thanksgiving created opportunities for two significant shopping days—Cyber Monday and the Sunday after Thanksgiving—that typically would have fallen in November. The combined analysis showed an impressive 4.9% increase in sales for the holiday season.
With the National Retail Federation (NRF) reporting that households remain in decent financial health, the low unemployment rates, rising incomes, and a pronounced slowdown in inflation contributed to this trend. Families approached their holiday shopping with greater confidence, leading to what can be deemed a successful Christmas shopping season.