Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is concluding the year by celebrating its wins both for its customers and the community.

MASTERCARD: HOLIDAY SALES RISE 8.5% — FASTEST PACE IN 17 YEARS

The newest COVID-variant disrupted holiday plans for many Americans, but it didn’t have much of an impact when it came to holiday shopping. Holiday sales increased 8.5% year-over-year this holiday season (from November 1 through December 24).

NON-TRADED REITS BLAST THROUGH RECORDS, WITH MORE THAN $4.6B IN NOVEMBER FUNDRAISING

Non-traded REIT fundraising totaled $4.626 billion in November, a previously unfathomable monthly sum, and more than the industry’s annual fundraising from 2016 o 2018, reported Robert A. Stranger & Co., Inc.

REITS REIGN IN 2021

REITs were very strong to round out 2021. The group had a mediocre 2020 as some segments of the REIT market were hit hard by COVID’s impacts, but a booming global real estate market buoyed the sector in 2021. It was one of the few S&P 500 sectors to end the year at an all-time high. This week’s featured chart is the Dow Jones US REIT Index, which has more than doubled from its pandemic low.

REITS POST SECOND-STRONGEST YEAR ON RECORD IN 2021

The FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs index performed strongly in 2021, with a total return of 41.3%, while the FTSE Nareit Equity REITs index rose 43.2%. On a yearly basis this is the second-strongest year on record dating back to the inception of the index series on Dec. 31, 1971.