Holiday spending rose to the highest level in years during the 2017 season amid widespread economic gains, and retailers in Houston got an extra boost from the rush to replace what Hurricane Harvey destroyed.
Fourth-quarter sales rose 5.5 percent from the same period last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce said Friday. In December alone, sales increased 5.4 percent.
Many retailers this month reported positive same-store sales during November and December, driven in part by investments that encouraged crossover between online and in-store shopping. Even department stores, which have for years fought to turn around declining sales, had a brighter season.
The results exceeded the National Retail Federation’s highest forecast.
Source: www.houstonchronicle.com
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