A customer shops for holiday gifts in a Target store on Dec. 21 in Austin, Texas. Holiday shopping was up 3.1% over 2022, a lower figure than the pandemic years but still a healthy one, economists say. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption A customer shops for holiday gifts in a Target store on Dec. 21 in Austin, Texas. Holiday shopping was up 3.1% over 2022, a lower figure than the pandemic years but still a healthy one, economists say. Retail spending in the 2023 holiday season rose just over 3% year-over-year, marking a return to pre-pandemic consumer spending trends even as credit card debt is on the rise and federal student…
