Holiday Sales Up 7.6 Percent in 2022—but Outpaced by Inflation at 8.5 Percent

People look at a holiday display in New York City, on Dec. 23, 2019. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

Holiday retail sales were up in 2022 during the most critical sales season of the year.

Sales rose 7.6 percent during the the key period running from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24, according to Mastercard’s SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all payment types.