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Purchase, N.Y. -- Consumer spending remained strong for most sectors in September, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and service sales. Most segments reported positive year-over-year sales results, with particularly strong results in the apparel, hardware, and department store sectors.

Purchase, N.Y. -- Apparel continued to show gains in July, while housing-related sectors such as electronics, appliances, and furniture remained sluggish, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales. (The data estimates total U.S. retail sales across all payment forms including cash and check.)

In other findings, auto parts and service posted its first decline after five months of growth.

New York City -- Luxury, e-commerce and apparel enjoyed strong growth in April and the restaurant category surpassed last month’s gains, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales. Electronics and appliance sales registered declines.

New York City -- Retail sales in February rose in most categories ranging from clothing to furniture, despite winter storms and rising gas prices, MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, which tracks spending in all forms including cash. While the increase maintains the positive performance that began in fall 2010. However, February’s year-over-year growth rates were smaller in most categories than those recorded in the November 2010 through January 2011 period.

Purchase, N.Y. -- Retail growth in December sales was robust across many categories, further building on November’s positive results, with some performing at better than pre-recession levels, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, which tracks national retail and services sales.

Purchase, N.Y. -- A report released Tuesday by MasterCard Advisors said that increased spending in most categories produced a strong holiday season for retailers, with e-commerce and apparel faring the best. Retail sales from Nov. 5 through Dec. 24 rose 5.5% to $584.3 billion over the same period last year, according to MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse. The figures, which exclude auto sales, are ahead of industrywide projections for a 3.3% to 4% rise for the holiday selling season.

New York — Shoppers opened up their wallets in early November, providing retailers with some early holiday cheer. Spending on apparel, jewelry and luxury goods showed strong increases from the same time a year ago, according to MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, which includes transactions in all forms including cash.

A report released Wednesday by MasterCard Advisors found that, in August, sales in most categories recorded a slight year-over-year uptick compared to the year-over-year performance of July.

According to the SpendingPulse report -- based on aggregate sales activity in the MasterCard payments network, coupled with survey-based estimates for all other payment forms, including cash and check -- some categories were boosted by back-to-school spending.