Black Friday sales encouraging for U.S. retailers

Mastercard SpendingPulse reports as of 3 p.m. Friday, total Black Friday retail sales in the United States were up nearly 30% compared to 2020.

"Spending was on the rise throughout the day," said Steve Sadove, senior Mastercard adviser and former CEO and chairman of Saks Inc.

Apparel sales were up year-to-year more than 86% to lead all sectors.

Other data reported by the credit card company versus a year ago:

• Total retail sales (excluding auto): Up 29.8%, with e-commerce sales rising 10.6% and in-store sales increasing 42.9%.
• Department store sales: Up 47.9%
• Electronics sales: Up 20.7%.

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