Rethinking Retail

State Chamber relaunches the Delaware Retail Council

BY TYLER MICIK

FOR RETAILERS, the customer is king. For us at the State Chamber, our members are king. This is why we’re renewing our focus on supporting retailers.

In 2021, the Delaware Retail Council—an affiliate of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and National Retail Federation—met for the first time in several years to discuss the issues retailers are facing and discover opportunities in which the State Chamber could help improve the retail climate in Delaware.

Retailers play a crucial role in supporting the economy. Throughout the pandemic, retailers served as economic first responders as customers relied on them to meet their shopping needs. To survive, retailers adapted and found innovative solutions to continue meeting the needs of shoppers. They offered curbside pick-up and at-home delivery, held special shopping hours for at-risk groups, supported their local communities by delivering free meals to essential workers, and manufactured and distributed personal protective equipment.

Today, retailers are continuing to experience constant change. Pharmacies and drug stores are playing a vital role in distributing the vaccine. Stores are experiencing sales figures that are equivalent to—if not greater than—pre-pandemic numbers. They’re seeing an increase in demand for in-person experiences as customers return to stores after mostly staying home for more than 20 months. On top of this, retailers are dealing with significant workforce shortages in addition to vaccination and testing mandates for employees.

Not only are retailers economic first responders, but they are also workforce developers. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), one in three people’s first job is in retail, and 71 percent of managers across all industries value retail experience because valuable soft skills are learned. I had the opportunity to listen to Adam Lukoskie, vice president of the National Retail Federation Foundation, at our Developing Delaware Conference this past October. Lukoskie highlighted their RISE Up program, which teaches students valuable, stackable skills that employers in every industry are searching for in an employee such as customer service, leadership, and problem solving, among others.

From left: Jason Tyszko of the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Governor John Carney, Adam Lukoskie of the National Retail Federation Foundation, and DSCC President Mike Quaranta at the Developing Delaware Conference.

As we move into 2022, one thing is clear: The retail industry is rapidly evolving. While challenges still lie ahead, there are also great opportunities. The Delaware Retail Council is back and ready to serve. We look forward to bringing people together with regular meetings and hosting events to tackle the topics you want to hear about. We will be the bridge to our national partner, the National Retail Federation, so that you stay up to date on national policies that could have a local impact in addition to working on state and local policies. We’re committed to listening to the needs of our customers—the retailers of the First State.