Christmas Sales Reach Record In The United States
There were delays in shipments due to the difficulty faced by the supply chain, but sales exceeded the figures of previous years.
US holiday sales hit a record $886.7 billion in 2021, according to data from a trade body on Friday, as people rushed to buy gifts online and in stores amid a surge in coronavirus cases. COVID-19 and supply chain issues threatened to jeopardize the crucial buying season.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) said that sales of the Christmas period, including e-commerce, rose 14.1% during November and December, marking the strongest growth in at least two decades and exceeding its latest forecast of an increase of up to 11.5%.
“Despite supply chain issues, rising inflation, labor shortages, and the omicron variant, retailers delivered a positive holiday experience to pandemic-weary consumers and their families,” said the NRF Executive Director Matthew Shay in a statement.
The shopping season, the busiest time of the year for retailers, was marked by shipping delays caused by the pandemic and resulting product shortages.
To ensure supply, some retailers like Walmart and Target redirected goods to less congested ports and even chartered their ships to get holiday items on their shelves on time.
The increase in the number of coronavirus cases at the end of the year, caused by the omicron variant, added to the problems of retailers, limiting staff and reducing traffic in stores.
This caused retail sales in December, excluding car dealerships, gas stations, and restaurants, to fall 2.7% from November, according to NRF data. However, e-commerce and other non-store sales climbed 11.3%.
