Global retail sales show solid growth led by North America and UK

Asia and Latin America growth significantly more subdued but positive

London, UK, Thursday 25th September - MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse™, a macro-economic report tracking retail sales, today revealed that the trend for retail  is steady growth, particularly in North America and the UK.

The US posted an August growth rate of 4.1% over last year - continuing the healthy growth rates seen over the summer, and it maintains a healthy outlook going into the 4th Quarter. The UK and Canada grew by 4.0% year-on-year in August after a mild slowdown in July.

While North America and UK have posted consistently modest growth, South American and Asian sales have been much more fragile. In Hong Kong for instance, August retail data shows 1.6% growth year-on-year, the first positive growth rate in the last four months as they have been adversely affected by a slowdown in spending on mainland China.  Taking Brazil's subdued growth into account, August's 2.3% rise on last year's sales was an improvement. However, the economic environment in both Hong Kong and Brazil faces a number of challenges which could lead to a further slowdown in the coming months.

E-commerce retail sales growth remains strong - growing double digits in the US, Canada and the UK over last year.

The consistency in general US retail growth can be seen even in weekly and daily data. Although modest, this continued acceleration suggests that the momentum of the past couple of months may continue for a while. August retail sales in the US grew in most sectors, particularly lodging, electronics, and furniture as experiential spending continues to dominate for the consumer.

In the UK, after several years of weak growth, retail sales have shown a remarkable turnaround in 2014, with growth rates running at nearly twice the pace notched in 2011-2013.  This reflects continued improvements to the UK economy. August's growth was led by increased sales from furniture, apparel and grocery and department stores.

Sarah Quinlan, Group Head and Senior Vice President at MasterCard Advisors, observed:

"Our data illustrates that that globally, retail sales are more or less heading out of the doldrums. While some Asian and South American markets are facing more challenging economic environments, August has shown positive growth across the board which is a good sign.  North America and the UK look particularly solid in their growth and so our data suggests this is a trend that looks set to continue, especially into the critical holiday shopping season."

For more information on SpendingPulse, please visit:

http://www.mastercardadvisors.com/us/advisors/en/merchant_solutions/ms_spendingpulse.html

MasterCard Notes To Editors

For further information, please contact:

MasterCard UK

+44  20 7611 3779

+44  7 81121 7580

lon-mastercard@ketchum.com

SpendingPulse™ Data Source: A macro-economic indicator, SpendingPulse reports on national retail and service sales and is based on aggregate sales activity in the MasterCard payments network, coupled with survey-based estimates for certain other payment forms, such as cash and cheque. MasterCard SpendingPulse does not represent MasterCard financial performance. SpendingPulse is provided by MasterCard Advisors, the professional services arm of MasterCard Worldwide.

About MasterCard Advisors

MasterCard Advisors, a division of MasterCard Worldwide, provides clients around the world with insights and solutions that drive business impact and ROI. The company uses advanced analytics and deep payments expertise to translate data into actionable behavioral insights and customized services. With more than 80 billion anonymized transactions processed annually in 210 countries worldwide, the company leverages aggregated information and a consultative approach to help financial institutions, merchants, media companies, governments and other organizations grow their businesses. For more information, go to www.mastercardadvisors.com.

About MasterCard 

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com,is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world's fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard's products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone.@MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Conversations Blog and subscribe.

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