Taxable retail sales in Clark County increased 4.6 percent to $1.1 billion during the third quarter of 2011 compared to year-earlier results, the Washington State Department of Revenue reported today. Statewide, taxable retail sales were up 3.2% to $27.3 billion.
Retail trade, a subset of all sales that counts only retail store sales and excludes other sectors such as construction and services, was up 3.6 percent in Clark County and up 2.4 percent statewide.
Among major industries, construction in Washington rose 1.4 percent to $4.4 billion, the first gain for this sector since the first quarter of 2008. Statewide accommodations and food services rose 5.3 percent to $3.5 billion; motor vehicles and parts rose 4.5 percent to $2.6 billion; general merchandise stores dropped 1.2 percent to $1.8 billion, and miscellaneous retailers were up 1 percent to $1.3 billion.
