Tracking Transactions

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

November 13, 2023

The Retail Monitor, a joint product of CNBC and the National Retail Federation, is a statistic that is based on “9 billion annual credit and debit card transactions collected and anonymized by Affinity Solutions.”

Earlier this morning they released new data in a CNBC story that notes that “October data, accounting for more than $500 billion in sales, showed weakness in gas station sales, electronics and appliances, and furniture and home stores.” It is predicted that this lapse in spending is due to the upcoming holiday season.

The information in the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor varies from the Census Bureau's retail sales report because it is based on real consumer transactions, whereas the Census relies on survey responses. While census data is often updated as more survey results are collected, the Retail Monitor remains unchanged since it is derived from actual monthly transactions. In the coming months, "the Retail Monitor will provide demographic breakdowns of spending by age, income and geography," which will be vital information for business owners to look out for.

The State Chamber's Delaware Retail Council (DRC) is an official affiliate of the National Retail Federation (NRF). Any DRC member with annual sales of less than $1 million that operates solely in Delaware is eligible for free membership in the National Retail Federation. Learn more >

News You Can Use

This will be a busy and interesting week given the potential for the closure of the federal government if a funding deal cannot be struck. The week is also marked with a number of speeches made by Federal Reserve leaders. Important economic data points start tomorrow with the October Consumer Price Index numbers, and the NFIB optimism index for October. U.S. retail sales for October are public Wednesday morning, as is the producer price index for October, and business inventories for September. Thursday kicks off with the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey, and October industrial production numbers. We close out a busy and important week on Friday with October housing starts and building permits.

Tyson Foods, AECOM, and Henry Schein start the week off with earnings calls today. Home Depot, Aramark, and Tencent Music headline Tuesday’s calls, while Target, JD.com, and Cisco Systems are scheduled on Wednesday. Dole, Applied Materials, Beazer Homes, Macy’s, and Ross Stores, among others, are on Thursday, while BJ’s Wholesale and Spectrum Brands round out the week on Friday.

Michael J. Quaranta

President

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

Uniquely Delaware

Accepting Nominations: 2024 Warrior Friendly Business Award

November marks National Veterans and Military Families Month, highlighted by Veterans Day this past Saturday, November 11. The Warrior Friendly Business Award recognizes businesses that support service members, veterans, and their families through workplace initiatives. The award is administered by the Joint Military Affairs Committee (JMAC) and winners are honored at the Annual State of the Guard event each February. The nomination form is open through December 15.

Download the nomination form >

Fill out an online application >

BlindSight Delaware is an organization of volunteers and professional staff dedicated to improving the quality of life for blind and visually impaired adults and children in Delaware through recreation, enrichment, communication, and education programs.

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