Holiday Spending Highs

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

December 4, 2023

For many Delaware retail merchants and members of our Delaware Retail Council, this is an important time of year. The National Retail Federation (NRF) recently shared:

A record 200.4 million consumers shopped over the five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, surpassing last year’s record of 196.7 million, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The figures surpassed NRF’s initial expectations of 182 million shoppers by more than 18 million.

“The five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday represents some of the busiest shopping days of the year and reflects the continued resilience of consumers and strength of the economy,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Shoppers exceeded our expectations with a robust turnout. Retailers large and small were prepared to deliver safe, convenient and affordable shopping experiences with the products and services consumers needed, and at great prices.”

News You Can Use

Welcome to the first full week of December! The week’s economic news starts off this morning with October factory order results. Tuesday brings us October job openings data (9.6 million), while on Wednesday we’ll see the November ADP employment report. Wholesale inventory numbers and consumer credit figures for October are scheduled for release on Thursday. We wrap up the week on Friday with the U.S. unemployment rate and U.S. hourly wage rate data for November.

GitLab and Science Applications (SAIC) have earnings calls today. AutoZone, Toll Brothers, and a few others are scheduled for Tuesday. Campbell Soup, ChargePoint, Chewy, GameStop, and United National Foods are among those on tap for Wednesday, while Lululemon Athletica, Broadcom, DocuSign, and Dollar General are among those scheduled for later in the week.

Michael J. Quaranta

President

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

Uniquely Delaware

Delaware Joins Conference USA as Part of FBS Move

Conference USA has added Delaware as a new member for the 2025-26 season. Delaware will become the conference's 11th member in football when it begins league play in 2025.

The move for Delaware is part of its path up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, as it currently plays in the Coastal Athletic Association in the FCS against the likes of Villanova, Richmond and Elon. The Blue Hens will be joining a league that includes Liberty, Sam Houston State and New Mexico State.

"The opportunity to join Conference USA is a very proud moment for our entire university," athletic director Chrissi Rawak said in a statement. "With this step forward, we will continue to offer an incredible student-athlete experience and elevate the visibility of all that is remarkable about UD." Read more >

The Port of Wilmington is a full-service, deep-water port and marine terminal strategically located on 308 acres at the confluence of the Delaware and Christina Rivers. The Port is in its 100th year of operation.

Learn more