Sales from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 rose 7.6%, according to data from MasterCard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.
The next few weeks, which close out many retailers' fiscal year, could help determine whether the holiday quarter is a win or a bust.
Retailers enter 2023 reckoning with the fact that store traffic already lagged during peak weeks of the holiday season.
It is also retailers' last chance to sell through excess inventory and start the new fiscal year in a cleaner position.
Like many other retailers, Walmart's holiday quarter includes January.