MADELEINE BRAND, host:
Good retail news begins NPR's business news.
(Soundbite of music)
BRAND: Retailers enjoyed a fairly jolly holiday season. MasterCard SpendingPulse, which tracks how much American consumers spend, says that from November through Christmas Eve, retail sales rose 3.6 percent compared to the same period last year. A lot of the spending was done online. Shoppers were looking for jewelry and consumer electronics. At department stores and clothing shops, though, sales were down a bit.