Taxable Retail Sales Decline 10.8 Percent in Fourth Quarter 2008
OLYMPIA, Wash., April 8, 2009 — Taxable retail sales declined 10.8 percent to $27.7 billion during the fourth quarter of 2008, the Washington State Department of Revenue reported today.
Retail trade was down 11.9 percent to $12.1 billion when compared to the fourth quarter of 2007. Retail trade is a subset of all taxable retail sales that excludes construction, services and other non-retail businesses. Retail trade is a better measure of consumer purchases.
Among major industries, construction dropped 12.1 percent to $5.6 billion. Motor vehicle and parts dropped 27.1 percent to $2.1 billion. Accommodations and food services declined 5.0 percent to $2.5 billion, while building materials, garden equipment and supplies dropped 14.0 percent to $1.0 billion.
Results for the most populous counties:
| |
Taxable retail sales |
% change |
Retail trade |
% change |
|
King |
$10.93 billion |
-12.9% |
$4.26 billion |
-14.0% |
|
Pierce |
$2.84 billion |
-12.4% |
$1.37 billion |
-14.2% |
|
Snohomish |
$2.62 billion |
-15.5% |
$1.33 billion |
-14.1% |
|
Spokane |
$1.86 billion |
-7.47% |
$925.6 million |
-9.3% |
|
Clark |
$1.10 billion |
-13.6% |
$497.3 million |
-11.5% |
Results for cities with the most sales:
| |
Taxable retail sales |
% change |
Retail trade |
% change |
|
Seattle |
$4.20 billion |
-7.45% |
$1.33 billion |
-10.3% |
|
Bellevue |
$1.42 billion |
-14.1% |
$608.6 million |
-18.0% |
|
Tacoma |
$1.05 billion |
-13.1% |
$493.9 million |
-15.6% |
|
Spokane |
$1.02 billion |
-3.4% |
$501.7 million |
-4.7% |
|
Everett |
$639.9 million |
-16.4% |
$295.6 million |
-16.0% |
Results for all counties and selected cities, including breakdowns of sales by industry sector, are available here.
Breakdowns of taxable retail sales and retail trade by counties and cities, and a breakdown of sales statewide by industries are available here.