• Retailers across the board reported some of the brightest holiday sales figures in years, according to Census data released Friday. Photo: David Paul Morris / © 2016 Bloomberg Finance LP
Photo: David Paul Morris
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Retailers across the board reported some of the brightest holiday sales figures in years, according to Census data released Friday.
Retailers across the board reported some of the brightest holiday sales figures in years, according to Census data released Friday.
Photo: David Paul Morris

Retailers across the board reported some of the brightest holiday sales figures in years, according to Census data released Friday.

In December alone, sales increased 5.4 percent, according to the Commerce Department report. Fourth-quarter sales rose 5.5 from the same period last year.

Sales in November and December, peak shopping months, increased 5.5 percent to $691.9 billion, exceeding the National Retail Federation's highest forecast by about $10 billion. Online sales saw the strongest year-over-year growth at 11.5 percent.

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Houston saw one of the largest increases in spending, driven in part by Hurricane Harvey replacement materials. Retail sales including furniture, building materials and other items rose 15.7 percent during the season, according to a report by FirstData.

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