MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse: December Total U.S. Retail Sales Dip to 2.4% Y/Y

A report released today by MasterCard Advisors provided total retail sales (excluding automotive) results for December 2012. Excluding auto sales, total retail sales grew by 2.4% year-over-year. Slow spending on gasoline and some holiday related sectors contributed to December’s slower growth rate. Taking out both autos and gasoline, retail spending grew at a slightly stronger 2.8% year-over-year. This is down from total retail sales (ex. auto) growth of 4.5% in November.

MasterCard Advisors produces monthly and weekly SpendingPulse reports that are available to subscribers in the US, UK, Canada and Brazil, and are delivered ahead of retail spending figures provided by other sources. In the U.S., MasterCard Advisors provides detailed reports on sectors including airlines, apparel, auto parts and services, department stores, ecommerce, electronics, furniture, gasoline, hardware, hotels and lodging, jewelry, luxury sales and restaurants.

The underlying softness of holiday related sectors of retail sales acted as a drag on December’s growth rate. However, when examining a broader view of retail, the growth rates show modest improvement.

Kamalesh Rao, Director of Economic Research for MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, noted, “Throughout the year, we had been seeing a sustained, albeit gentle strength to the monthly numbers. This continued into the fourth quarter, which had a strong start, peaking by the third week of October. Then from that time until the end of the year, we saw frequent swings between acceleration and deceleration.”

About MasterCard Advisors

As the professional services arm of MasterCard Worldwide, MasterCard Advisors is uniquely qualified to provide clients with insights and solutions that drive tangible impact and financial gain. MasterCard Advisors provides payments consulting, information, analytics, and customized services that deliver value to its customers. In doing so, the company uses information to create products and services in which privacy and security are fundamental to their design. A technology company that is an electronic payments leader, MasterCard is committed to the responsible use of information and pledges strong privacy protection for the transaction data the company processes. Its information management practices support the company’s mission to make payments safe, simple and smart. 


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