Holiday spending in the U.S. rose 5.1% to $850 billion in 2018 and marked the retail industry’s strongest growth in six years, according to Mastercard (NYSE:MA) SpendingPulse. That was a bullish sign for retailers, but Mastercard’s report also found that certain sectors fared better than others.
Online shopping revenue rose 19%, apparel and home improvement retailers posted positive growth, but department stores and electronics and appliances retailers suffered year-over-year declines. Today we’ll examine five retailers that impressed investors during the holidays, and five others that fell short of expectations.
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