Retail sales in holiday-related categories such as apparel, electronics and jewelry rose a "decent" 2.3%, according to a Thursday report from MasterCard SpendingPulse.
The so-so upswing from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 improved on the same period in 2012 and was in line with expectations, researchers said.
Overall sales from all categories swelled 3.5%.
The growth remained modest due to six fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, as well as stormy weather during the final two weekends of the season – normally key consumption time for last-minute shoppers.
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