Core Insights - U.S. retail sales excluding automotive increased by 3.9% year-over-year from November 1 through December 21 according to preliminary insights from Mastercard SpendingPulse [1] Group 1: Consumer Behavior - Consumers demonstrated flexibility and confidence during the shopping season, engaging in early shopping and leveraging promotions [1] - There was a notable investment in meaningful experiences and wish-list items by consumers [1]

Consumer Spending Trends - American consumers increased their retail spending by 4.11% on Black Friday compared to the same day in 2024, with inflation currently at 3% [2] - Increased spending was noted in categories such as apparel (6.1% online and 5.4% in-store), jewelry (2.75%), and restaurant meals (4.5%) [3] E-commerce Insights - Overall eCommerce sales surged by 10.4%, while in-store sales only grew by 1.7% [3] - The rise in online shopping has also led to increased opportunities for fraud, with 72% of consumers shopping on unfamiliar websites [3] Fraud and Scams - Common red flags for fraud include prices that seem too good to be true (52%), poor grammar or spelling (48%), and requests for unnecessary personal information (49%) [3] - Approximately 20% of shoppers reported items that never arrived, and 16% received counterfeit goods in previous seasons [3][6] - Research indicates that 30% of American consumers, or about 77 million people, lost money to scams in the past five years, with many losing upwards of $500 [6]