Retail Sales Increase 1.1% for 2009 Holiday Season

Holiday sales which combine the full months of November and December, rose 1.1 percent to $446.8 billion in 2009, the National Retail Federation reported Thursday. The figure surpasses the NRF's projected decline of 1.0 percent.

Retail industry sales for December rose 2.3 percent unadjusted year-over-year and fell 0.5 percent seasonally adjusted from November, according to the NRF.

"With an eye on managing inventory and maintaining lower price points, retailers did a tremendous job of planning for the holiday season," said NRF Chief Economist Rosalind Wells. "While the consumer appears to be spending again, double digit unemployment numbers will remain an impediment to maintaining this momentum.”