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Holiday Sales Up 10.4%, Johnson Redbook Says: The just-ended Christmas shopping season turned out as strong as expected thanks to a crush of buying in the last week, according to one industry analysis. Johnson Redbook Service, which tracked retail sales throughout the season, said business was up 10.4% from Nov. 29 through the day after Christmas, compared to the same period in 1991. After this week’s results are included, Johnson Redbook said holiday sales growth should reach between 8% and 9%, the level that Johnson Redbook forecast at the start of the season. The firm had reported sales through the first three weeks of December were down 4.3%, which means most consumers did the bulk of their shopping in the last week before the holiday.