Does $31.1 Billion Mean Anything to You?

That is the value of retail sales by the nation’s department stores in December 2003. This represented a 48 percent jump from the previous month (when retail sales, many Christmas-related, registered $21.0 billion). No other month-to-month increase in department store sales last year was as large.

The Census Bureau has put up a special page on its website called 'Christmas Facts.' Interesting stuff. Click here to access it.