Weekly sales rise 1.1 percent during week ended Dec. 12, online sales up 4 percent

Weekly holiday sales edge up

CHICAGO — A research firm says holiday sales rose 1.1 percent last week compared with last year, as consumers are spending more after a post-Thanksgiving lull.

For the week ending Saturday, sales are up 18.2 percent from the previous week, when many shoppers took a break after the busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend.

ShopperTrak RCT Corp., a Chicago research firm that tracks sales at more than 50,000 stores, says spending for Hanukkah boosted sales late last week as well.

Meanwhile, comScore is reporting online sales are higher for the week, up 4 percent compared with last year.

Analysts have generally predicted total holiday sales to be even at best with last year.