On December 26 local time, the latest report released by USA credit card company MasterCard showed that retail sales in the USA during the recently concluded holiday shopping season overall grew more than expected. The data indicates that online shopping was increasingly favored by consumers during this holiday. Senior executives in the Retail Trade now describe American consumers with several keywords: cautious, conservative, and buying on demand. Analysts state that retailers seem to have realized the need to attract inflation-weary consumers through significant discounts. Walmart indicated that it will continue to give back to consumers through price reductions, while competitor Target stated it will increase promotions, because without promotions, consumer engagement may decline. Consumer goods company Dial expects Q4 profits to be under pressure due to increased promotional efforts, and supermarket chain The Kroger frankly admitted that it has to lower prices to remain competitive. However, the biggest question is whether consumer trends can continue in the future without discounts. (CCTV Finance)