Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Visa Spending Report Indicates Increase of Holiday Retail
December 29,
2025 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
Visa, a global leader in digital payments, released its annual Retail Spend Monitor from Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA), offering a broad view of U.S. holiday retail activity. Preliminary data shows that overall holiday retail spending increased 4.2% year over year across all payment types, including cash and check. These figures are not adjusted for inflation.
“Whether shoppers were upgrading their tech, refreshing their closets, or stocking up at one‑stop shops, retailers delivered seamless shopping experiences both in stores and online,” said Wayne Best, chief economist at Visa. “This season also marked a turning point, with artificial intelligence shaping how people discover products, compare prices, and interact with offers. This led to a more informed, more intentional consumer, ensuring they could stretch their discretionary spending.”
Holiday season spending highlights include:
In-store shopping remains strong: 73% of holiday payment volume was in physical stores while 27% of retail spend happened online.
E-commerce continues to expand: Online retail spending rose 7.8%, driven by early-season promotions and convenience.
Global holiday retail spending momentum: Markets outside the U.S. saw seasonal spending rise, with Australia (+5.0%), Canada (+4.4%), South Africa (+7.9%) and U.K. (+3.6%).
U.S. seasonal spending snapshots by category include:
Electronics power up for the holidays: Electronics sales jumped 5.8%, fueled by demand for high-performance devices in the AI era.
One-stop shops spread the cheer: General merchandise stores saw a 3.7% lift with consumers seeking convenience.
Fashion-forward shoppers hit the racks: Clothing and accessories sales climbed 5.3%.
Holiday home décor held steady: Furniture and home furnishing sales rose 0.8%, reflecting a consistent seasonal demand.
A cooler season for home improvement: Building materials and garden equipment sales decreased by 1.0%.
“Insights from the VCA Retail Spend Monitor help businesses adapt to changing consumer behaviors and prepare for the rapidly evolving future of commerce,” said Kate Manfred, North America head of advisory services at Visa.
The VCA Retail Spend Monitor analyzes retail sales activity over a seven-week period beginning November 1, using a subset of Visa payments network data in the U.S.1 and survey-based estimates for other payment methods. It is produced by VCA's global network of thousands of consultants, data scientists, and product experts from around the world. Their expertise combined with the power of VisaNet data – which represents over 329 billion transactions a year – helps clients identify trends and make data-driven decisions. In the last year, VCA delivered nearly 4,500 consulting engagements that helped clients realize an estimated $6.5 billion in incremental revenue as a result.