2005 Consumer Holiday Retail Spending

Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, so how are U.S. retailers doing during the 2005 holiday season? Here is the latest consumer spending and retail sales information for the 2005 holiday season.

National Retail Sales Estimate
ShopperTrak's National Retail Sales Estimate (NRSE) reported that U.S. retail sales for the week ending December 24 increased a robust 25.5 percent as compared to the same week in 2004. Retailers got the holiday boost they were waiting for this season as the week leading up to Christmas turned in a strong performance with consumers taking full advantage of this year’s extended shopping season to purchase last minute items. Because of the extended season, many consumers capitalized on having Friday, December 23 off to finish their holiday shopping, helping boost the day’s sales output to the second-highest performing day so far in the 2005 holiday season, just behind Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving.

Also, with Hanukah falling much later this holiday season (beginning at sundown on December 25) consumers may have procrastinated in Hanukah gift buying as well, giving the week an even bigger boost over 2004 when the holiday fell in early December. Sales for the week ending December 24 as compared to the previous week ending December 17 increased an exceptional 30.3 percent.

Additionally, ShopperTrak’s Retail Traffic Index (SRTI) reported that total U.S. retail traffic for the week ending December 24 increased 15.1 percent as compared to same period in 2004 while outperforming the previous week (ending December 17) by a healthy 28.7 percent, again indicating a strong consumer retail push last week.

ShopperTrak also reported that to date, average weekly sales for December, versus the same period last year rose an encouraging 7.4 percent, with average weekly traffic rising 0.9 percent so far through the month.

National Retail Sales Estimate