According to a Mastercard SpendingPulse report, online spending during the holiday shopping period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 grew by 6.7 percent over last year, compared to a 2.9 percent increase for in-store sales.

Holiday season retail sales rose 3.8% this year over last, Mastercard says, as more people dined out and bought clothes and jewelry. Why it matters: The report suggests a resilient consumer, key to the continued health of the U.