Daily Business Report: December 23, 2024
Visual Capitalist
Online Shopping: Charting the Holiday Surge
In the fourth quarter of 2023, online shopping was a record-breaking 17% of all retail sales. Put another way, one out of every six dollars was spent online. This graphic, in partnership with BGO, highlights the spike in ecommerce that occurs every year during the holiday season.
The Growing Popularity of Online Shopping
Over the last 15 years, the percentage of money consumers are spending online has more than tripled. The most online shopping always occurs in the fourth quarter due to Black Friday and holiday spending.
In the table below, we show online shopping as a percentage of total retail sales over time.
With people stretched for time during the busy holiday season, many opt for quick online orders and home deliveries.
Beyond convenience, deals also draw people to their screens. For instance, Amazon’s October Prime Day and Cyber Monday both offer deals catered to online shoppers. In 2024, Cyber Monday drew over 64 million U.S. shoppers—nearly three times higher than the 23 million people who shopped in stores.
To handle the increase in online shopping orders, U.S. retailers will need to have a plan for storing their products and transporting them to customers.
The Logistics of Online Orders
Free and fast shipping are top priorities for online shoppers. Nearly 40% would abandon a retailer with high shipping costs, while 32% would stop buying because of late deliveries. These high expectations, and the increase in ecommerce, is driving demand for real estate that can process online orders.
BGO’s industrial warehouse and logistics properties are strategically located to help reduce expenses and transport goods to consumers more quickly. During the busy holiday period, these properties run at full efficiency to meet the surging demand.
Source puppies responsibly this holiday season
This holiday season San Diego Humane Society is reminding families planning to get a puppy to start by checking out the amazing variety of cuties available for adoption at local shelters and rescues. Doing so saves lives, and ensures they are not supporting the cruel practices of puppy mills or irresponsible breeders. “We know that bringing a new puppy into the home is a joyous occasion for many families during the holidays. However, it is critical that people understand the potential harm caused by purchasing puppies from people marketing them on the internet,” said Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of SDHS. The shelter currently has more than 100 puppies in care every day, including a variety of breeds. Plus, every pet adopted from a shelter or rescue has been microchipped, vaccinated and spayed or neutered — services that can easily cost a pet family over $1,000. San Diego Humane Society also offers an adoption guarantee, meaning they will welcome the animal back into their care at any time if it isn’t the right match. Visit sdhumane.org/adopt to search adoptable animals.
Visit the Mavericks Holiday Experience Pop-Up
Get ready to step into a winter wonderland at Mavericks Beach Club at 860 Garnet Ave. Back for its second year, the Mavericks Holiday Experience Pop-Up is bigger and brighter than ever, running through Dec. 25. This festive transformation offers the perfect way to embrace the holiday spirit in a fun and lively setting. As you walk into Mavericks, you’ll be greeted by over 10,000 feet of sparkling lights and 5,000 feet of lush garland draped across the space, creating a magical holiday ambiance. At the heart of the display is a stunning 25-foot Christmas tree, surrounded by ten more beautifully decorated trees scattered throughout the venue. Each bar within Mavericks is uniquely decked out, providing a variety of holiday-themed experiences that are perfect for photos and making memories.
Pacific Beach Town Council board installation dinner
The Pacific Beach Town Council Board installation dinner will be Friday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Catamaran Hotel and Spa, 3999 Mission Blvd. The installation of officers and new board directors every January is a historic PB tradition that dates back to the founding of the organization. The night also includes a special awards ceremony to recognize outstanding community members for their service. Invited to participate are federal, state, county, and city elected representatives, Pacific Beach community leaders, business owners, and PB Town Council members. Also joining in are the esteemed town council members and leaders of neighboring communities in La Jolla, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma and Clairemont.
La Jolla Park coastline gets historic designation
It’s official, the “La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District,” a dramatic stretch of coastline, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district was nominated under Criterion A: “Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.” Anchored by the 5.6-acre Ellen Browning Scripps Park, the district extends along the shoreline from Coast Walk in the north to Whale View Point in the south. The central unifying artery is the curvilinear Coast Boulevard. The roadway provides spectacular views of the coastline framed by belvederes, palm trees, and sweeping green lawns. Thirty-five contributing resources including 10 buildings, eight sites, and 17 structures are located along the entire seaside length of the district.
Amplified Ale Works San Diego to close
Amplified Ale Works San Diego at 4150 Mission Blvd. in the Promenade at Pacific Beach is closing its last remaining location there later this month after 12 years of serving up unique craft beers and Mediterranean-inspired eats. Amplified Ale Works has garnered fans during its tenure, first as the celebrated SDSU-adjacent eatery, California Kebab, which opened in 2009. In 2012, California Kebab launched Amplified Ale Works as an in-house nano brewing operation in its current Pacific Beach location. With the popularity of its beer among the Pacific Beach community, they dropped the California Kebab name to focus on the Amplified brand.
Pendry San Diego names director of food and beverage
Pendry San Diego announced the appointment of William Figueroa as director of food and beverage and the promotion of Brandon Sloan to executive chef. Together, they bring a wealth of industry knowledge and experience, innovation, and passion as they oversee the food and beverage programs at Pendry San Diego. Figueroa joins Pendry San Diego from Alma San Diego, where he served as director of food and beverage. Figueroa will manage and oversee all day-to-day food and beverage operations across the hotel’s culinary destinations. Since joining Pendry San Diego in 2017 as chef de cuisine and most recently as executive sous chef, Sloan has played a significant role in overseeing the culinary operations for Nason’s Beer Hall, Fifth & Rose, Provisional Kitchen, and in-room dining. hotel’s overall culinary program.
Number of remote workers increases
The number of remote workers more than doubled in San Diego, Chula Vista, and El Cajon since pre-pandemic, this being one of the factors that has determined the environment in all the three cities from the San Diego County to record some of the greatest improvements in the United States. Here’s a recap of the evolution of the most significant environmental changes in San Diego between 2019-2022: Work-from-home: 135% (5th highest among large cities); Air quality index: -1% (9th largest improvement among large cities); Gas consumption per capita: -5.9% (5th steepest reduction); Carbon footprint: -8.3% (7th steepest decrease). Here you can find the full study: https://coworkingmag.com/blog/work-from-home-and-the-environment/.
