In a mood boosting news for the economy, the US MasterCard SpendingPulse study says that holiday retail sales were up by 7.9 per cent during the traditional Black Friday to Christmas Eve shopping season, while e-Commerce sales were a big gift, roughly 20 per cent compared to last year. 

As Sarah Quinlan, SVP, Market Insights for MasterCard Advisors, elaborated, Transitioning from research to a sale makes sense, if the proper customer experience and incentive — free or fast shipping, for instance — is in place.  "After a slow start, I'm very happy to see that the holiday season was hot for retailers.”