Apparel and tablets were the primary growth drivers during the second week of the holiday shopping season.

NORTH AMERICA–Retail sales for the first two weeks of November were up 6 percent, compared to the same period in 2016, according to The NPD Group’s U.S. weekly point-of-sale results for key general merchandise categories tracked during the holiday season.

Furthermore, dollar sales for the second week of November alone were 9 percent higher than they were in the second week of November last year.

Overall, small home appliances, beauty, apparel and athletic footwear experienced double-digit dollar growth compared to last year. According to The NPD Group, increases in the volume of goods sold and the average price paid drove this week’s growth.

The top performing categories for the second week of November were: women’s apparel (driven by outerwear), men’s apparel (driven by sweats/active bottoms), tablets, sport leisure footwear and kitchen appliances (driven by blending and processing).

“Early season growth demonstrates the consumer’s willingness to spend and spells potential for retail this Holiday,” says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst, The NPD Group. “The challenge for retail is to harness the personal need drivers behind this early spending, convert it into a continued desire to spend on more traditional gift items throughout the season, and do so in ways that extends beyond deep discounting.”