Taxable Retail Sales Decline 11.6 Percent during Third Quarter 2009
OLYMPIA – Jan. 14, 2010 – Taxable retail sales declined 11.6 percent to $26.4 billion during the third quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, the Washington State Department of Revenue reported today.
The July through September sales decline is the third-largest on record. Sales dropped 14 percent during the second quarter of 2009 and 12.8 percent during the first quarter of 2009.
Retail trade, a component of all taxable retail sales that includes retailers but excludes other industries such as services and construction, dropped 6.1 percent to $11.6 billion.
Among the largest industries, retail sales from construction dropped 25 percent to $4.8 billion; motor vehicle and parts dropped 3.6 percent to $2.6 billion; accommodations and food services dropped 3.3 percent to $3.0 billion; general merchandise stores declined 0.3 percent to $2.5 billion; the retail component of wholesale trade declined 18.5 percent to $1.9 billion, miscellaneous retailers dropped 19.1 percent to $1.2 billion, information services rose 2.3 percent to $1.2 billion, and building materials, garden equipment and supplies dropped 14.0 percent to $1.2 billion.
Results for the most populous counties:
|
|
Taxable retail sales |
% change |
Retail trade |
% change |
|
King |
$10.2 billion |
-13.4% |
$4.0 billion |
-8.0% |
|
Pierce |
$2.7 billion |
-11.4% |
$1.3 billion |
-6.4% |
|
Snohomish |
$2.5 billion |
-10.8% |
$1.3 billion |
-6.7% |
|
Spokane |
$1.8 billion |
-7.1% |
$867 million |
-5.5% |
|
Clark |
$993 million |
-15.7% |
$471 million |
-5.8% |
Results for cities with the most sales:
|
|
Taxable retail sales |
% change |
Retail trade |
% change |
|
Seattle |
$3.9 billion |
-13.1% |
$1.2 billion |
-9.0% |
|
Bellevue |
$1.2 billion |
-15.2% |
$561 million |
-5.4% |
|
Tacoma |
$965 million |
-11.5% |
$467 million |
-7.1% |
|
Spokane |
$959 million |
-6.7% |
$461 million |
-5.6% |
|
Everett |
$572 million |
-16.0% |
$277 million |
-7.1% |
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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