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Holiday spending up over last season

Recession. What recession?

Recession.

What recession?

A new survey finds that despite the economic downturn, Canadian shoppers are opening their wallets a lot wider this year than last.

Moneris Solutions Corp., a debit and credit card payments processor, says its figures show sales are up leading into the last weekend before Christmas.

The Moneris survey tracks national sales in the final five weeks of the pre-holiday season.

It says that in the first weekend of December, shoppers spent five per cent more overall, with department stores the clear winner as sales shot up 12.8 per cent.

Last weekend it was the turn of apparel retailers as they rang in an 11.4 per cent increase in sales amid an overall six per cent increase in retail business compared with last year.