“Consumers and brands alike are gearing up for what’s anticipated to be the most wonderful holiday retail season on record. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse ™, which measures overall retail sales across all payment types including cash and check, U.S. retail sales are anticipated to grow 7.4% excluding automotive and gas. Consumers are expected to spend online at even higher rates (+7.6%) than last year, while in-store sales are also expected to see a rebound—growing 6.6%** compared to 2020.”