Alabamians spent big in December as holiday spending shatters records
With fewer people traveling, visiting relatives or holding Christmas parties during the holidays, Alabamians embraced a different holiday tradition: Spending money. And they did it at a pace the state has never seen before.
Online and in-person spending by Alabamians in November and December jumped nearly 12% over 2019, shattering the previous record, according to an analysis released this week by the Alabama Retail Association. It was the first time the pace of spending growth had broken double digits.
Holiday spending across the nation grew about 8% in 2020, according to an analysis by the National Retail Federation, though that data doesn’t include spending on cars, gas, or restaurants.