Although the new COVID-19 variant is causing havoc for millions of travelers, nothing, including supply-chain delays, seems to have affected shoppers over the holiday season.

A report published earlier this week confirms retail sales were up 8.5% over last year’s holiday season, the biggest gain in 17 years, and 11% over 2019. Brick and mortar sales were up 8.1% over last year, and e-commerce sales were up 11%. E-commerce sales took a 61% leap over 2019’s numbers, thanks to the pandemic. Department stores experienced a 21% increase over last year’s sales.

To date in 2021, online sales have accounted for 20.9% of all retail sales, whereas e-commerce sales only accounted for 14.9% of the sales in 2019.

The biggest gains in consumer spending were in clothing and jewelry, with gains of 47% and 32%, respectively.