On Christmas Eve, 77% of All Payments Were Made in Physical Stores

During the holiday period, 77% of the total retail payments in the U.S. were made in physical stores, with the value of these payments increasing by 4.1% compared to last year.

Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) published its first Retail Spend Monitor report, which provides preliminary data on overall holiday retail spending in the U.S. The total pre-Christmas spending in the country grew by 4.8% compared to 2023. Online purchases accounted for only 23% of payments, although their value increased by 7.1% compared to last year.

During the pre-holiday period, growth was recorded across all product categories, including:

• clothing and accessories (5.0%);
• building materials (4.7%);
• electronics (4.2%).

In addition, Visa analysts noted that retail spending growth during the pre-holiday period was observed globally. The report provides specific data for some countries:

• Brazil (12.2%);
• Australia (7.4%);
• South Africa (7.0%);
• United Kingdom (2.3%).

The data in the study cover all payment forms and include overall activity in the retail sector over a seven-week period starting November 1.

In 2024, Visa played an active role in launching new FinTech products across various sectors, from crypto cards to tools for simplifying cross-border payments.