shopping

The sagging U.S economy has sparked changes at businesses in Rehoboth Beach as business owners work to give customers more bang for the buck.

At the forefront of this is Fusion, at 50 Wilmington Ave. The restaurant has lowered the price of all its menu items to $20 or less.

Bill Karrow, executive chef and proprietor of Fusion said, “Let’s face it, it costs 75 or 80 bucks to fill your tank up. That hurts. So we’ve made a conscious decision to keep all our entrees under $20. And it’s been working very well.”

Even without throngs of tourists filling the boardwalk, residents should expect a little less walking room on the sidewalks this weekend.

As the 25th annual Spring Sidewalk Sale kicks off this weekend, Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce President Carol A. Everhart said visitors should expect some great deals and merchants can expect to clear additional retail space for new summer merchandise.

As the outlying communities of Delaware's beach resorts continue expanding, two major food retailers are putting locations into one area that currently has very limited choices.

Giant Food Inc. and Harris Teeter Inc. are opening new supermarkets this May on the eastbound side of Route 24 near Long Neck.

The new supermarkets will bring more jobs to the area, as well as more shopping options for residents. Currently, the only choice for groceries, without going to Millsboro or the Rehoboth Beach area, is a Food Lion.

* Before leaving home, check the Tanger Outlets Web site ( http://www.tangeroutlet.com) and print coupons for favorite stores.

* Dress for combat: slip-on shoes, easy-to-remove clothing, specialty lingerie (particularly important if you want something with lots of spandex or cleavage).

* On arrival, go to customer service for the two coupon books available. One is free with a AAA card, while the other costs $10 ($5 for seniors). The booklets don't always overlap and don't cover all stores.

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... for shopping, that is.

Today kicks off a truly American "holiday," Black Friday -- the post-Turkey Day scramble that offers more options to spend money (and cash in on some sweet deals) in one day than a single person could possibly take advantage of.

Across Delmarva, retailers are knocking down prices the day after Thanksgiving, but at the beach, thousands will be headed towards two of the biggest places for savings: The outlets.

A summer of dry conditions and tolerable temperatures helped many of the business owners in downtown Rehoboth Beach meet their sales targets this season.

Some weeks were better than others, but many businesses are reporting sales were as good as or better than last year's, even though Del. 1 construction just outside of town frustrated tourists.

Traffic counts -- and cash register receipts -- proved that the number of visitors this summer equaled or even slightly exceeded the annual average of about 2.1 million visitors to downtown Rehoboth from Memorial Day through Labor Day, officials said.

For the nation's big retailers, July wasn't exactly filled with fireworks and celebrations. For Delaware businesses, the month seemed a bit more festive -- depending on what was being sold, and where it was being bought.

At the state's beach resorts, it's been a generally lackluster season, retailers said, partly because of the occasional uncooperative meteorological gods, partly due to an early summer spike in gasoline prices. Elsewhere in the state, July's fortunes were brighter, retailers report.

Has anyone been to Rehoboth Outlet in Rehoboth Beach Delaware if so did you like their selection?

They're not too bad. Pretty standard outlet places.

Stores include:

In Outlet Center One find Sunglass Hut, Reebok, Ann Taylor Factory Store, Big Dog Sportswear, Geoffrey Beene, Perry Ellis, Jones New York, Liz Claiborne, Maidenform, Nautica, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Westport Ltd., Grotto Food Court, Lenox, Midwest Feather and Down, Pfaltzgraff, Springmaid Wamsutta, G.H. Bass, Rack Room Shoes, Timberland, Book Cellar, Christmas Tree Hill, Coach Factory Store, The Cosmetics Company Store and Perfumania.

Drivers at the beach in southern Sussex County no longer have to go out of their way to get the best deals on gasoline.

While the lowest costs at the pump can usually be found upstate or in the western part of the county, now towns like Rehoboth Beach and Fenwick Island are offering some of the best values in Delaware as prices begin to dip below $2.

"It's a few pennies" saved, said Mickey Boris last week as he fueled up for $2.09 a gallon at a Fenwick Citgo station. "It's never going to be where it was, but it's better than paying $3 a gallon."