Holiday sales in the United States increased 3 percent to $626.1 billion in 2015, less than the predicted growth of 3.7 percent, the National Retail Federation reported earlier this month.
Warmer than usual weather and deep discounting kept sales below forecast.
The holiday shopping season spans November and December. Non-store sales, which indicate online transactions, rose 9 percent to $105 billion, the NRF said.
“Make no mistake about it, this was a tough holiday season for the industry,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement. “Weather, inventory challenges, advances in consumer technology and the deep discounts that started earlier in the season and that have carried into January presented stiff headwinds as retailers competed with one another and their own bottom line.
“Despite these factors, the industry rallied, consumers responded and sales still grew at a healthy rate, which is a huge testament to the resilience, knowledge and expertise of our retail leadership,” Shay said.
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