Holiday retail sales rise 3.8%, Mastercard says, driven by restaurants and clothes

Holiday season retail sales rose 3.8% this year over last, Mastercard says, as more people dined out and bought clothes and jewelry. Why it matters: The report suggests a resilient consumer, key to the continued health of the U.S. economy. • The growth rate is a little stronger than the forecast from the National Retail Federation, which suggests some upside to the season. By the numbers: Mastercard's SpendingPulse survey reports retail sales from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24. • Sales grew 6.3% for restaurants, 4% for jewelry, 3.7% for electronics,...