US consumers were in the mood to spend this holiday season, with retail sales soaring 8.5 percent over last year, a study released Sunday showed.

Online sales were up 11 percent and in-store sales up 8.1 percent between November 1 and Christmas Eve, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse study.

The increase, which was the strongest in 17 years, does not reflect automobile sales.

"Consumers splurged throughout the season," said Steve Sadove, senior advisor for Mastercard and former CEO of Saks Incorporated.

The boom saw "apparel and department stores experiencing strong growth as shoppers sought to put their best dressed foot forward," he said.

Americans flocked to clothing, which experienced a 47.3 percent increase in sales year-to-year as well as jewelry, with a 32 percent increase.

https://news.yahoo.com/us-retail-sales-8-5-013714626.html

We usually go to the same stores for whatever we need……..I think we’re going to try different stores this week just to try something different. Whada ya think????

Seems like lotsa requests at this time of year..... Veterans, animals, hunger.......I don’t Remember so many. Sad really, that so many needs are out there.

Any way Joe Biden could woo a middle of the road repub to vote yes?? Or is that just a damn given that no repub will ever vote with the Dems??

especially love the one where a man is damn near dying in a red desert…..and his sweat is the basis of the cologne??? or am I wrong….

Is that false advertising??? OXI Clean??? Seriously?? Kills Covid??

I’M REALLY GETTING ANNOYED WITH WAVE AFTER WAVE OF THE GAWD DAMN VIRUS….. or is it just me??

Kim Kardashian has passed a law exam and moved a step closer to being able to practice as an attorney in the state of California.

Kardashian revealed that she passed the exam at the fourth attempt in an Instagram post published Monday.

…………. Kardashian said she was suffering with Covid-19 during one attempt to pass the exam, which is one of two she needs to pass in order to become a practicing attorney in California.
"I was told by top lawyers that this was a close to impossible journey and harder than the traditional law school route but it was my only option and it feels so so sooooo good to be here and on my way to achieving my goals," she wrote.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/13/entertainment/kim-kardashian-law-exam-scli-intl/index.html

Swimsuits now........ the Top 16......USA is in it so far........oh, and of course, it’s on faux.