NEW YORK, Dec 25: US specialty apparel retailers saw sales rise 3.6 per cent in holiday shopping, at the lower-end of expectations, according to data released on Tuesday by SpendingPulse.

The figures, from the retail data service of MasterCard Advisors, offer a glimpse at the strength of the 2007 holiday shopping season, which was expected to grow at the slowest rate in five years, as US consumers face a housing slump, a credit crunch and higher prices for food and fuel.—Reuters