What's going on?

US shoppers were gearing up to spend big in this year�s post-Thanksgiving sales, but folk across Europe seemed dead set against any festive splurges, according to research carried out by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

What does this mean?

Jolly Americans weren�t going to let any turkey-induced bloating stop them from splashing out on seasonal discounts this year: researchers at BCG reckon they�re poised to spend about 6% more than they did back in 2021, despite the grimmer economic outlook. But that bargain-hunting zeal didn�t seem to have spread across the pond, where Brits and other Europeans were slashing budgets by up to 20%. That news will have dampened the spirits of store-owners, who were probably hoping that a recent uptick in retail sales would turn into a longer-term trend.

Why should I care?

The bigger picture: Retail�s not so seasonal.
Black Friday�s commonly seen as the time when retailers swing into profit, but the last quarter of the year isn�t as outsized as you might assume. A US Census Bureau study from 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, found that even stores stocking the most seasonal products, like games and toys, brought in only around a third of their sales in the period. And for retailers selling products like sporting goods or electronics, it was even less. So a holiday miracle might plump up sales and profit, but it�s far from the be-all and end-all.

For markets: Santa Claus is coming to town.
The Santa Claus rally might sound like some kind of yuletide parade, but the term actually refers to a well-known stock market quirk: shares tend to nudge higher around New Year�s, typically rising by about 1.5%. And sure, a rally that small might not seem like anything to write home about, but on the back of a recent recovery in US stocks, it could be a warming winter tipple to help thaw a chilly 2022.