08:04 AM EST, 12/26/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Holiday season retail spending, excluding automobiles, grew 3.8% year-over-year in 2024, led by online apparel sales and restaurant expenditures, Mastercard ( MA ) reported Thursday, citing preliminary data from its SpendingPulse gauge.

The platform measures both online and in-store sales between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24 and is not adjusted for inflation, Mastercard ( MA ) said.

Online sales overall rose 6.7% while in-store sales increased 2.9%, Mastercard ( MA ) said.

While apparel sales increased 3.6%, online apparel sales increased 6.7% compared with 0.2% for in-store clothing sales, the numbers cited by Mastercard ( MA ) showed.

Online sales rose most in Tampa and Phoenix, Mastercard ( MA ) said.

Restaurant expenditures increased 6.3%, the most overall, while department store sales increased only 1.6%, Mastercard ( MA ) said.