Holiday Sales Growth Best Since ’05, ShopperTrak Reports

U.S. holiday sales grew at their fastest pace in almost a decade, lifted by a strengthening economy and consumers spreading out their purchases over a longer season, according to ShopperTrak. Holiday spending over November and December jumped 4.6 percent versus the same period last year, beating ShopperTrak’s prediction of 3.8 percent, the research firm said today in a report. That was the best performance since 2005, before the last recession, when sales gained 5.2 percent.