Mastercard Says US Consumers Spent More on Black Friday, Especially Online [Video]

Retailers’ efforts to draw U.S. customers in for Black Friday appear to have been successful, as Mastercard (MA) reported a rise in consumer spending on the post-Thanksgiving shopping holiday from last year.

U.S. retail sales excluding automotive were up 3.4% year-over-year on Black Friday, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse survey, which noted e-commerce sales jumped 14.6% but in-store sales rose just 0.7%.

The report found that jewelry, electronics, and apparel remain the biggest gift sectors, with a particularly strong online sales result for apparel on Black Friday as temperatures cooled in much of the country leading up to the holiday.

“Black Friday was a good indicator of how the holiday season is positively shaping up,” Mastercard Economics Institute chief economist Michelle Meyer said. “Our real-time insights show that consumers are comfortably in the gift-giving spirit as price reductions and deals occur across sectors, supporting budgets for holiday shopping.”

Last year, the survey said Black Friday …