LOVE - Holiday retail sales estimated to be up 3%

Holiday retail sales excluding automotive and gasoline increased 3.0% this expanded holiday season, according to tracking from Mastercard SpendingPulse.Online sales were up 49.0% for an extended holiday period tracking that ran from October 11 to December 24.E-commerce accounted for 19.7% of overall retail sales, up from 13.4% last year. Amazon (AMZN), Wayfair (W) and Etsy (ETSY) made big market share grabs this year in retail.Home furniture and furnishings experienced the strongest growth of any sector, up 16.2% Y/Y. With that sector, Kirkland's (KIRK), Lovesac (LOVE) and Purple Innovation (PRPL) have been on a tear this year.Home improvement sales were up 14.1%, with e-commerce sales up 79.7%. Analysts thinks Home Depot (HD) and Lowe's (LOW) have attracted new online customers through the pandemic that they are likely to keep.All that staying at home in the U.S. contributed to the apparel category being a laggard, with sales down 19.1%. Department stores like Kohl's

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Holiday retail sales estimated to be up 3%