For retailers specializing in toys, consumer electronics and jewelry, there is good news. American shoppers boosted their spending for these items during the last quarter of 2012, and analysts expect more increases to come this year.

According to the recently released Chase Freedom Lifestyle Index, which researched Chase cardholders’ activity, the purchase of toy products in the fourth quarter jumped by 81 percent from the third quarter of 2012. For consumer electronics, this figure rose 65 percent. As for jewelry, consumers increased their spending on these items by 49 percent from the previous quarter. These types of merchandise are popular throughout the holiday season, which is why they saw such significant increases, Chase states.

However, these were not the only items that were sought after during 2012’s fourth quarter. The research also revealed that books, clothing and accessories and sporting goods were in demand at the end of the year. Several retail categories that saw the least improvement in spending, including restaurants, travel and leisure expenses.

“Our cardholders give us a reason to be optimistic about the economy,” said Phil Christian, general manager of Chase Freedom. “It is clear that they did not shy away from holiday spending.”

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Monday, January 28th, 2013 at 9:47 am .