Retail Beat

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After the Election: Minnesota Retailers Gets to Work for 2027

Minnesota voters returned the DFL to full control of state government on Nov. 3. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and running mate Ben Schierer won the governor and lieutenant governor race with 55.5% of the vote, according to unofficial results. DFL candidates also won the other three state constitutional offices, with Secretary of State Steve Simon and Attorney General Keith Ellison winning reelection and Zack Filipovich winning the open state auditor seat.

The DFL broke the 67–67 tie in the Minnesota House and is projected to hold 77 seats to Republicans’ 57. In the Minnesota Senate, the DFL expanded its majority and is projected to hold 39 seats to Republicans’ 28. With the governor’s office and both legislative chambers, the DFL will enter 2027 with a governing trifecta.

Ready to work together

Minnesota Retailers looks forward to working with Governor-elect Klobuchar, legislative leaders, and lawmakers from both parties on issues that affect retailers, shoppers, employees and communities. Our approach remains the same. We put policy that is good for Minnesota first, build relationships across party lines, and look for practical solutions.

We have a long history of working with Governor-elect Klobuchar during her time in the U.S. Senate, including on sales tax fairness. She’s has also made time to celebrate Minnesota’s retailers and hear directly from the people who run stores and serve customers in communities across the state. We look forward to building on that relationship as she takes office.

The work starts before January

More than 50 lawmakers are expected to be new to their chambers when the Legislature convenes on January 12. Between now and then, we’ll focus on helping lawmakers get to know the retailers in their districts and understand what it takes to compete and serve customers. A store visit or a conversation with employees can show how decisions at the Capitol affect what shoppers pay, how stores staff their shifts and where retailers can afford to invest.

Thank you to everyone who ran, and to the staff and volunteers who put in the hours behind each campaign. A few longtime friends of retail won’t be returning to the Capitol, and we’re grateful for their service and partnership. We look forward to getting to know the new lawmakers Minnesotans elected to serve.

See the full Minnesota election results

Watch the Replay: What Minnesota’s Packaging Law Means for Retailers

Missed last week’s webinar on Minnesota’s packaging law? The recording is now available on YouTube.

Minnesota Retailers joined Kris Coperine and Nicki McClung of Circular Action Alliance to walk through Minnesota’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for packaging.

The session covers what the law means for retailers, key dates to keep on your radar, and steps your business can take now to prepare.

Watch the webinar recording on YouTube.

Federal Reserve Study Examines Early Effect of Minnesota’s Noncompete Ban on Pay or Turnover

In a working paper revised this month, researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and The Budget Lab examined whether Minnesota’s 2023 noncompete ban changed how much workers earned or how often they left their jobs.

Using employment and earnings data available through 2025, they looked at inflation-adjusted pay, how often new hires left within their first quarter, and turnover across the workforce. They found no clear early effect on earnings or turnover for either new hires or workers overall.

For retailers, the law applies to agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2023, and covers employees and independent contractors. It generally makes noncompetes unenforceable, with limited exceptions tied to the sale or dissolution of a business. The law treats nondisclosure and nonsolicitation agreements separately, a distinction that matters when reviewing hiring documents or agreements that protect confidential business information.

Read the Minneapolis Fed working paper.

U.S. Job Growth Picked Up in October, With Delivery Jobs Helping Lead the Way

The U.S. economy added 165,000 jobs in October, up from 60,000 in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate changed little at 4.1%. Professional and business services and health care posted the largest gains.

Heading into the holiday shopping season, the report showed a split across industries that serve shoppers. Transportation and warehousing added about 25,000 jobs nationwide, with couriers and messengers accounting for about 17,000 of those gains. Warehousing and storage employment edged down by about 300 jobs, while retail trade employment changed little.

Read the full October jobs report

Holiday Shoppers Turn to AI for Gift Ideas and Deals

Holiday shoppers are turning to AI for gift ideas and price comparisons, but many still want to make the final call themselves. In an August survey of about 1,000 U.S. consumers, Gartner found that 34% were very or extremely willing to use AI for holiday gift recommendations, while 13% said they already used AI tools or chatbots for holiday shopping inspiration.

Price comparisons are another draw. As Retail Dive reported, comparing prices and deals was the most common reason shoppers in a Bank of America survey said they would use AI during the holidays. Shoppers were more cautious about handing over payment. In a separate William Blair survey, most respondents said they would want to review a purchase before letting AI complete it.

For retailers, that means a shopper may arrive with a shortlist and a price in mind. Clear product details, easy-to-find offers and accurate availability can help customers decide where to buy.

Read the full story from Retail Dive.

Holiday Shopping Calendar for Minnesota Retailers

Minnesota Retailers has assembled key shopping dates from Veterans Day through New Year's to help retailers plan for the holiday season. Use the calendar to decide when to add checkout or pickup coverage, stock up on popular gifts, launch promotions and set shipping deadlines.

Before publishing your holiday hours, check what’s happening in your community, too! A downtown market or tree lighting can bring shoppers to your door outside your usual busy hours.

Thanksgiving weekend brings Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Sustainable Sunday and Cyber Monday. When you build your December schedule, give Dec. 12, Dec. 19 and Dec. 26 a close look. Sensormatic projects those will be the three busiest days for store visits after Black Friday, with Super Saturday on Dec. 19 leading that group.

November 2026

• Wednesday, Nov. 11 | Veterans Day. USPS observes the federal holiday. Check carrier pickup schedules before setting delivery expectations for customers.
  
• Thursday, Nov. 19 | Give to the Max Day. Minnesota’s statewide giving day supports nonprofits and schools. Retailers can spotlight a local organization they already work with, share its GiveMN fundraiser or offer to match customer donations up to a set amount.
  
• Thursday, Nov. 12 | Dayton’s Holiday Market opens. The downtown Minneapolis market features more than 100 local makers and vendors and runs through Dec. 24.
  
• Thursday, Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving. Post your holiday hours early and let customers know when online orders will be ready for pickup or shipment.
  
• Friday, Nov. 27 | Black Friday. For what’s projected to be the season’s busiest day for store visits, make featured deals easy to find and plan for extra traffic at checkout and pickup.
  
• Saturday, Nov. 28 | Small Business Saturday. Give shoppers a reason to explore their local shopping district. Team up with neighboring stores or your local chamber to spread the word about what’s happening nearby.
  
• Sunday, Nov. 29 | Sustainable Sunday. Minnesota Retailers' shopping day to celebrate the savings and environmental benefits of buying pre-owned, refurbished and recycled products at your favorite stores. Retailers can join in by showcasing secondhand finds, refurbished products and gifts made with recycled materials.
  
• Monday, Nov. 30 | Cyber Monday. Make online offers, shipping costs and pickup options easy to find before customers check out.

December 2026


• Tuesday, Dec. 1 | GivingTuesday. If you’re partnering with a local nonprofit, tell customers how they can participate and where their contributions go.
  
• Friday, Dec. 4 at sundown through Saturday, Dec. 12 | Hanukkah. Have gifts and celebration merchandise ready ahead of the first evening.
  
• Saturday, Dec. 12 | Second Saturday in December. Sensormatic projects this will be the season’s third-busiest day for U.S. store visits. Check staffing, inventory and pickup 
  capacity.
  
• Thursday, Dec. 17 through Saturday, Dec. 19 | USPS holiday shipping dates. For expected delivery before Dec. 25 within the contiguous U.S., USPS recommends sending by Dec. 17 for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, Dec. 18 for Priority Mail and Dec. 19 for Priority Mail Express. Set customer order deadlines early enough to allow for packing and carrier pickup.
  
• Saturday, Dec. 19 | Super Saturday. The last Saturday before Christmas is projected to be the season’s second-busiest day for U.S. store visits. Put in-stock gifts, gift cards and same-day pickup options front and center.
  
• Wednesday, Dec. 23 through Friday, Dec. 25 | Final Christmas rush. Dec. 23 is projected to be a top-five day for U.S. store visits. Share your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day hours and the last times customers can place and collect pickup orders.
  
• Saturday, Dec. 26 | Day-after-Christmas shopping. With a busy Saturday projected, plan for returns, exchanges, gift card redemptions and clearance shoppers. Kwanzaa also begins Dec. 26 and runs through Friday, Jan. 1.

New Year’s


• Thursday, Dec. 31 and Friday, Jan. 1 | New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Confirm holiday hours and make return and exchange deadlines easy to find.

As a reminder, before the rush, put your holiday hours, shipping and pickup cutoffs, and return deadlines in one place. Share the same information online and in-store so shoppers and staff know what to expect.

Cheers to a great holiday season!