Virginia Retail Federation is sharing this survey on behalf of the CCALS so you can be a part of shaping the future of the Virginia logistics landscape.

About the Survey
CCALS, in collaboration with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and the Port of Virginia, is on a mission to empower Virginia’s logistics sector. We’ve assembled a team of bright minds from CCALS partner universities to help us achieve this goal.

Why You Should Participate
By taking this survey, you’re playing a crucial role in shaping the future of Virginia’s logistics landscape. Your input is vital to our success.

See full press release

 

Survey Details

Time Required: Approximately 20 minutes

Data Privacy: Your responses are secured with Qualtrics, a trusted survey tool with SSAE-16 SOC II certified data centers. Rest assured, your data will never be sold or published.

What to Expect: All those completing the survey will receive an electronic copy of the Phase II Survey Report (to be published in early 2024).

Ready to Make a Difference? Click the button below to start the survey and join us in building a stronger logistics future for Virginia.

 

TAKE SURVEY HERE

The results from the 2023 General Assembly Elections are in, and Democrats swept the Virginia Legislature. While provisional ballots will be counted in a few tight races and there is the potential for a recount in a race or two, control of both bodies has been decided and will not be impacted by this.   

After last night's election, the Virginia Senate remains in Democratic control with a margin of 21 to 18. The remaining race in the Senate is between Incumbent Democrat, Monty Mason, and Republican Danny Diggs. At the time of this email, Diggs leads Mason by 1,022 votes.

The Virginia House of Delegates flipped from Republican control to Democratic control last night with a margin of 51-D 48-R. The remaining race is between Republican Incumbent Kim Taylor, and Democrat Kimberly Pope Adams. Currently, Taylor leads Adams by 173 votes.  

These election results mean that we will have a divided government, with a Democratic-controlled Legislature and a Republican Governor.

 

Senate General Elections Results

 

 

 

 

House General Elections Results

 

 

 

WASHINGTON, November 2, 2023 – The National Retail Federation today forecast that holiday spending is expected to reach record levels during November and December and will grow between 3% and 4% over 2022 to between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion. 

“It is not surprising to see holiday sales growth returning to pre-pandemic levels,” NRFPresident and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Overall household finances remain in good shape and will continue to support the consumer’s ability to spend.”

Despite a slower growth rate compared with the past three years, when trillions of dollars of stimulus led to unprecedented rates of retail spending during the pandemic, this year’s holiday spending is consistent with the average annual holiday increase of 3.6% from 2010 to 2019.  

Online shopping has been one of the biggest shifts in consumer behavior from the COVID-19 pandemic. Online and other non-store sales, which are included in the total, are expected to increase between 7% and 9% to a total of between $273.7 billion and $278.8 billion. That figure is up from $255.8 billion last year. 

“Consumers remain in the driver’s seat, and are resilient despite headwinds of inflation, higher gas prices, stringent credit conditions and elevated interest rates,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. “We expect spending to continue through the end of the year on a range of items and experiences, but at a slower pace. Solid job and wage growth will be contributing factors this holiday season, and consumers will be looking for deals and discounts to stretch their dollars.” 

“For all that the consumer has kept the economy afloat, the composition of spending from goods to services will also define holiday sales trends,” Kleinhenz said. “Service spending growth is strong and is growing faster than goods spending. The amount of spending on services is back in line with pre-pandemic trends.”

To meet the demand of the holiday season, NRF expects retailers will hire between 345,000 and 450,000 seasonal workers, in line with 391,000 seasonal hires in 2022. Some of this hiring may have been pulled into October to support retailers’ holiday buying events in October. 

Despite months of preparation for the holiday season, retailers could sustain unpredictable impacts from weather. This year, holiday retail spending may experience residual effects from El Niño, depending on the strength and persistence of the weather phenomena.

NRF's holiday forecast is based on economic modeling that considers a variety of indicators including employment, wages, consumer confidence, disposable income, consumer credit and previous retail sales. NRF’s calculation excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus on core retail. NRF defines the holiday season as November 1 through December 31.

NRF’s latest holiday survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, which is separate from the holiday sales forecast, shows 43% of holiday shoppers planned to start making purchases before November. The survey also found consumers plan to spend $875 on core holiday items including gifts, decorations, food and other holiday-related purchases this year. 

Additional holiday information is available on NRF’s Winter Holidays web page.

As the leading authority and voice for the retail industry, NRF provides data on retail sales each month and also forecasts annual retail sales and spending for key periods such as the holiday season each year.

About NRF
The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com

Below are the guidelines for Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday this coming weekend and here is a link for additional information.

 

 

Governor Youngkin

Governor Glenn Youngkin Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Potential Tropical Cyclone Sixteen

Declaration provides resources to assist with potential preparedness, response, and recovery operations

RICHMOND, VA - Governor Glenn Youngkin today declared a State of Emergency in advance of Potential Tropical Cyclone Sixteen which is expected to have impacts on Virginia beginning Friday, September 22, 2023. This is an unusual storm, which has been difficult to accurately forecast, approaching large population centers with many at-risk communities. Accordingly, the pre-positioning of response assets and supplies will be necessary to assist our local and state partners. The Virginia Emergency Support Team will activate for this incident.