According to one measure, holiday sales rose at the highest rate in 17 years, despite shoppers having to deal with increased prices, shortages, and the raging Covid-19 variant during the final weeks of the season.

Mastercard SpendingPulse tracks all types of payments, including cash, debit cards and credit cards. reported SundayHoliday sales rose 8.5% compared to a year ago. Mastercard SpendingPulse was expecting a 7.4% rise.

These results were generated by clothing and jewellery purchases.

Comparatively to the holiday period before pandemic 2019, sales for holidays rose 10.7%.

The category of clothing saw a 47% increase, jewelry 32%, and electronics 16%. Online sales increased 11% compared to a year earlier and by 61% compared with 2019. A 21% rise in sales at department stores was recorded over 2020.

The National Retail Federation will release its two-month combined results next month. It is the largest national retail trade association. These results will be calculated using the Commerce Department’s November and December sales data. Analysts will be analyzing the financial results of different retailers for fourth quarter, which are due to be published in February.

In general, analysts expected strong holidays, thanks to early holiday shopping which started in October, in anticipation of product shortages. The holiday celebrations are also being celebrated by consumers, despite a weak one last year. However, retail sales saw a decline in November due to early shopping. Many Americans are now having to cancel holiday plans because of omicron virus, the most prevalent version in the United States.

Early December, the National Retail Federation stated that holiday sales are on pace to surpass its record-breaking predictions for an 8.5%-10.5% increase compared to last year. In 2020, holiday sales rose 8.2% as shoppers who were not able to work during the initial part of the pandemic splurge on home and pajamas online.

According to the group, online sales and non-store sales will rise between 11%-15%. This excludes automobile dealers and gasoline stations, as well as restaurants. According to the study, holiday sales saw an average increase of 4.4% in the last five years.

NRF’s update was sent in December just before the omicron threat became more serious in the U.S. It disrupted businesses, from restaurants to Broadway shows. Although overall store traffic hasn’t fallen, some shops are experiencing a drop in large cities. Sensormatic Solutions reports that for the week ending Dec. 18, traffic rose by almost 20% over a year ago, while it was 23% lower than the same week of the 2019 pre-pandemic years. Sensormatic’s Senior Manager of Retail Consulting Peter McCall stated that while shoppers continue to visit retail shops, they now prefer open-air malls and outlet malls over enclosed shopping centers.

Retail sales are continuing to grow in an economically challenging environment. Many businesses have been required to raise their pay in order to retain and find workers. It has resulted in increased costs for doing business. The US ports were still jammed so they had to scramble to get stock on shelves.

The Americans showed their resilience at different times. Holiday shoppers were forced to pay more for essentials like gas and food, which put pressure on their budgets. The consumer price index rose by 5.7% last year. That’s the fastest rate of inflation in 39-years. Americans face a lot more pressure with holiday shopping season underway. Commerce Department on Thursday announced the November rise following a 5.1% increase in consumer prices for the twelve months ended October. These price hikes continue a long string of inflation increases above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%.

Americans have also learned to cope with product shortages by looking for alternative products or other avenues like eBay.

Walmart and Target both promised to stock shelves in time for Christmas, but there are supply issues elsewhere. Brian Cornell, Target CEO, told The Associated Press recently that it would take years to clear supply chain clogs.