Retail sales rose 3.1 percent between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, down from last year's 7.6 percent spike, according to Mastercard's latest SpendingPulse report. The results fell short of the company's 3.7 percent estimate. Online sales advanced 6.3 percent, down from the 10.6 percent gain at the same time a year ago. In-store sales edged up 2.2 percent, down from 6.8 percent in 2022. The data, which are not adjusted for inflation and excludes automotive sales, revealed that consumers spent the most on restaurants (7.8 percent), apparel (2.4 percent), and groceries (2.1 percent). Jewelry and electronics sales tumbled 2 percent and 0.4…
