U.S. retail sales surged in December, helping deliver a strong finish to the 2025 holiday shopping season and aligning with expectations for record consumer spending, according to new data released Monday by the National Retail Federation.
The CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions, showed December sales growth that pushed total holiday spending near the top of NRF’s forecast range.
“December Retail Monitor data saw a sharp surge in growth as consumers continued prioritizing holiday spending on family and friends,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Continued economic momentum helped land 2025 holiday sales near the top of NRF’s forecast, reaffirming that consumers remain on solid footing.”
Based on Retail Monitor data, holiday sales from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 increased 4.1% compared with the same period a year earlier. NRF had forecast holiday sales growth between 3.7% and 4.2%, topping $1 trillion, though official Census Bureau data for December has not yet been released.
Total retail sales excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations rose 1.26% seasonally adjusted from November to December and were up 3.54% year over year. That followed gains of 0.12% month over month and 4.53% year over year in November, according to the report.
Core retail sales — which also exclude restaurants — climbed 1.6% month over month in December and increased 3.58% from a year earlier. In November, core sales edged down 0.04% month over month but rose 4.66% year over year.
NRF noted that a late Thanksgiving pushed Cyber Monday into December in 2025, adding an extra high-volume shopping day to the month’s totals. December’s performance brought full-year retail sales growth, as calculated by the Retail Monitor, to 4.93%, with core sales up 5.08% from 2024.
Unlike survey-based data from the Census Bureau, the Retail Monitor relies on anonymized credit and debit card transaction data from Affinity Solutions and does not require monthly or annual revisions.
On a year-over-year basis, December sales increased in six of nine retail categories and rose across all categories month over month. Clothing and accessories stores posted a 6.11% annual increase, while sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores rose 5.16%. Digital product sales, including electronic books and games, increased 3.6% from a year earlier.
Gains were also reported at general merchandise stores, grocery and beverage retailers, and health and personal care stores. Electronics and appliance stores, furniture and home furnishings retailers, and building and garden supply stores recorded modest monthly increases but declines compared with December 2024.
NRF officials said the data underscores continued consumer resilience as the holiday season closed out a year of steady retail growth.
