Taxable Retail Sales Decline 4.3 Percent in Calendar Year 2008
OLYMPIA, Wash., May 12, 2009 — Taxable retail sales declined 4.3 percent to $113.2 billion during calendar year 2008, the Washington State Department of Revenue reported today.
Retail trade was down 6.1 percent to $48.3 billion compared to calendar year 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, retail sales from construction dropped 3.8 percent to $23.3 billion; motor vehicle and parts dropped 17.3 percent to $10.5 billion; accommodations and food services rose 1.4 percent to $11.1 billion; general merchandise stores declined 1.8 percent to $9.8 billion, the retail component of wholesale trade slid 6.5 percent to $8.7 billion, miscellaneous retailers dropped 2.9 percent to $5.9 billion, information services rose 3.2 percent to $4.9 billion, and building materials, garden equipment and supplies dropped 9.0 percent to $4.9 billion.
Results for the most populous counties:
| |
Taxable retail sales |
% change |
Retail trade |
% change |
|
King |
$45.2 billion |
-4.3% |
$17.0 billion |
-7.0% |
|
Pierce |
$11.7 billion |
-6.6% |
$5.6 billion |
-8.7% |
|
Snohomish |
$10.8 billion |
-7.9% |
$5.3 billion |
-8.3% |
|
Spokane |
$7.4 billion |
-4.2% |
$3.6 billion |
-4.8% |
|
Clark |
$4.6 billion |
-6.2% |
$2.0 billion |
-7.8% |
Results for cities with the most sales:
| |
Taxable retail sales |
% change |
Retail trade |
% change |
|
Seattle |
$17.1 billion |
0.4% |
$5.3 billion |
-3.8% |
|
Bellevue |
$5.6 billion |
-6.0% |
$2.4 billion |
-10.6% |
|
Tacoma |
$4.3 billion |
-8.1% |
$2.0 million |
-9.3% |
|
Spokane |
$3.9 billion |
-2.1% |
$1.9 billion |
-1.3% |
|
Everett |
$2.7 million |
-8.6% |
$1.2 billion |
-10.3% |
Taxable retail sales and retail trade by county and city, and a breakdown of sales statewide by industries are available at http://dor.wa.gov/Content/AboutUs/newsroom/html/TRS-RTL-CA2008.htm
Results for all counties and selected cities, including breakdowns of sales by industry sector, are available at http://dor.wa.gov/Content/AboutUs/StatisticsAndReports/2008/qbrcal08/default.aspx.
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