November Retail Sales Climb 4.6%, Says MasterCard SpendingPulse

November retail sales, excluding gas and autos, were up 4.6% from last year, according to a report from MasterCard. Sales for Thanksgiving week were only up 0.3% when autos were excluded, according to the report. Retail sales on Black Friday were down slightly, with spending spread across other days. E-commerce sales for the month were up 16%."The big surprise to me has been the huge jump in e-commerce, as we know that many consumers prefer the customer service at brick-and-mortar stores," said Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president of market insights for MasterCard Advisors.For the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, e-commerce sales increased 13%; for Thanksgiving day, online sales were up 25%.