Retail group: holiday sales up 8.3% amid big spending shift
By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s largest retail trade group said Friday that holiday sales soared 8.3%, far exceeding its forecast even as the coronavirus kept shoppers away from physical stores. The National Retail Federation had expected growth in a range of 3.6% to 5.2% for the November and December period compared to the year-ago period. The outsized gains show how the pandemic