CHICAGO - Shoppers spent heavily during the week ended Saturday, both before and after Christmas, after a snowstorm late in the holiday shopping season led to pent-up demand.
Retail sales rose 8.8 percent during the week ended Saturday, according to research firm ShopperTrak. Meanwhile, store traffic edged down 1 percent compared with a year ago.
On the day after Christmas, consumers spent $7.9 billion, up from $7.8 billion on the same day last year. That was the second-biggest sales day of the season -- shoppers spent $10.66 billion on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
ShopperTrak said four of the top seven traffic days this holiday season occurred during a late surge in the week ending Saturday.
ShopperTrak co-founder Bill Martin said pent-up demand following winter storms the weekend of Dec. 19 led to heavy spending during Christmas week.
"Although traffic was slightly off for the week compared to last year, consumers purchased more with fewer trips, driving sales and assuredly pushing retailers into the black this holiday season," he said.
ShopperTrak continues to estimate that sales rose 1.6 percent during the holiday season, compared to 2008.
The firm, based in Chicago, tracks retail sales at more than 50,000 outlets.
