In contrast with electronics, women’s apparel sales fell 3.3% in the first half of November. Sales in the category have fallen for more than a year, with nine months of double-digit declines from the year-earlier period since October 2008, according to SpendingPulse. Spending on luxury goods showed the largest drop, with a 9.2% year-to-year decline, after posting an increase in October, MasterCard SpendingPulse said. Overall, U.S. households are expected to spend about 7% less on gifts this season, shelling out an average of $390, according to a report released Monday by the Conference Board. This year, 39% of households are planning to spend less than $200, up from 35%. The Conference Board survey covers a sample of 5,000 U.S. households. – from WSJ