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OLYMPIA, Wash. – April 2, 2025 – Third-quarter taxable retail sales saw a small increase of 0.8% across the state over the third quarter of 2023, reaching $61 billion, after some key industries continued to see decreases in sales.
Taxable retail sales are transactions subject to the retail sales tax, including sales by retailers, the construction industry, manufacturing, and other sectors.
Retail trade, a subset of all taxable retail sales in the state, dipped by -1.3% for a total of $24.5 billion. Retail trade includes sales of items such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles but excludes other industries, such as services and construction.
These figures are part of a quarterly report released today by the Washington State Department of Revenue. The taxable retail sales figures compare the same quarter year-to-year to equalize any seasonal effects that would influence consumer and business spending.
Here are some sectors that saw increases in taxable retail sales during third-quarter 2024 compared to the same period (July-September) in 2023:
- Grocery and Convenience Stores rose 5.4% to $1.4 billion.
- Food and beverage stores sales rose 5.3% to $1.6 billion.
- Miscellaneous Retailers increased 3.1% to $5.2 billion.
- Apparel and Accessories sales increased 1.3% to $1.5 billion.
Many industries saw decreases in sales during third-quarter 2024:
- Construction decreased -0.4% to $12.9 billion.
- Sales of new and used auto dealers fell -4.2% to $4.3 billion.
- Building Materials, Garden Equipment and Supplies dropped -3.8% to $2.4 billion.
See third-quarter 2024 taxable retail sales and retail trade sales by industry.
Find out more information about:
| County | Taxable retail sales | Percent change | Retail trade | Percent changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | $22.6 billion | -1.1 | $7.8 billion | -1.7 |
| Pierce | $ 6.3 billion | 4.5 | $2.9 billion | -1.3 |
| Snohomish | $ 5.8 billion | 0.4 | $2.8 billion | -1.3 |
| Spokane | $ 4.0 billion | 1.2 | $1.8 billion | -1.4 |
| Clark | $ 3.2 billion | 2.0 | $1.3 billion | 2.3 |
| Thurston | $ 2.1 billion | 0.1 | $974 million | 0.4 |
| Kitsap | $ 1.8 billion | 4.2 | $840 million | 1.1 |
| Whatcom | $ 1.7 billion | 0.3 | $736 million | 1.9 |
| Benton | $ 1.5 billion | -0.3 | $742 million | -4.7 |
| Yakima | $1.4 billion | -2.3 | $684 million | -2.0 |
| City | Taxable retail sales | Percent change | Retail trade | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $8.8 billion | -1.9 | $2.5 billion | -2.2 |
| Bellevue | $2.5 billion | -3.5 | $981 million | -3.4 |
| Tacoma | $1.9 billion | 3.9 | $813 million | -3.8 |
| Spokane City | $1.9 billion | 1.3 | $764 million | -3.4 |
| Vancouver | $1.7 billion | -1.0 | $711 million | 0.4 |
| Everett | $1.1 billion | -2.3 | $439 million | -1.8 |
| Renton | $1.0 billion | -5.6 | $471 million | -5.9 |
| Puyallup | $761 million | -3.3 | $457 million | -7.1 |
| Kennewick | $738 million | -2.4 | $423 million | -1.7 |
| Pasco | $664 million | 15.7 | $287 million | 2.0 |
Compare taxable retail sales numbers for third-quarter 2024 and previous years by checking out the “Retail sales for cities and counties” page on our website.
Check Revenue’s Statistics and Reports page for additional detail about taxable retail sales.
Understanding how businesses are classified
Revenue uses business tax return data to create this quarterly report. Businesses are categorized under the U.S. Census Bureau’s classification system based on their primary taxable activity. The North American Industry Classification System – or NAICS – is the same method federal statistical agencies use for the purpose of analyzing economic data.
