Taxable Retail Sales Decline 2.9 Percent During First Quarter 2010
Retail trade up 1.9 percent
Olympia, Wash., July 8, 2010 — Overall taxable retail sales declined 2.9 percent to $22.6 billion during the first quarter of 2010, the Department of Revenue reported today.
Retail trade increased 1.9 percent to $10.2 billion over the first quarter of 2009. Retail trade is a subset of all taxable retail sales that includes retailers but excludes other industries such as services and construction.
Overall results continued to be held down by weakness in the construction sector, which was down 18.3 percent to $3.5 billion over year-earlier results. Sales by new and used car dealers were up 1.8 percent to $1.7 billion, while accommodations and food services sales were up 1.8 percent to $2.5 billion. Building materials, garden equipment and supplies sales were up 8.3 percent to $921 million.
Results for the most populous counties:
| |
Taxable retail sales |
% change |
Retail trade |
% change |
|
King |
$8.8 billion |
-4.7% |
$3.5 billion |
1.4% |
|
Pierce |
$2.4 billion |
-3.6% |
$1.2 billion |
0.3% |
|
Snohomish |
$2.2 billion |
-0.7% |
$1.1 billion |
1.7% |
|
Spokane |
$1.5 billion |
-2.8% |
$757 million |
0.3% |
|
Clark |
$916 million |
-1.0% |
$422 million |
4.4% |
Results for cities with the most sales:
| |
Taxable retail sales |
% change |
Retail trade |
% change |
|
Seattle |
$3.3 billion |
-7.5% |
$1.1 billion |
1.4% |
|
Bellevue |
$1.1 billion |
-6.0% |
$505 million |
1.1% |
|
Tacoma |
$861 million |
-8.3% |
$430 million |
-0.4% |
|
Spokane |
$830 million |
-1.6% |
$409 million |
1.6% |
|
Vancouver |
$527 million |
-4.4% |
$234 million |
2.7% |
Taxable retail sales and retail trade by county and city, and a breakdown of sales statewide by industries are available here.
Results for all counties and selected cities, including breakdowns of sales by industry sector, are available here.
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