Thurston county's retail sales tumble

By Rolf Boone | The Olympian • Published July 16, 2008

• Comments (0)

In another sign of the slowing South Sound economy, Thurston County taxable retail sales have fallen for the first time in 13 years, dropping 1.3 percent in the first quarter of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007, new state Department of Revenue data show.

The county's overall taxable retail sales declined, in part, because of fewer sales of new and used cars, motorcycles, boats and recreational vehicles, the result of higher fuel prices, the data show.

The news comes less than a week after Northwest Multiple Listing Service data showed that Thurston County home sales have fallen more than 20 percent in the first six months of the year compared with the same period in 2007.

Taxable retail sales still were up in three of the county's four largest cities but were down more than 5 percent in Olympia. Sales in a narrower category known as retail trade also were down more than 5 percent in Olympia, the data show.

The state Department of Revenue says the retail trade category of taxable retail sales reflects only sales at retail outlets and excludes volatile sectors such as construction.

The overall taxable retail sales data show:

• Thurston County fell 1.29 percent to $919.7 million in the first quarter of 2008 from $931.8 million in the same period a year earlier

• Olympia fell 5.41 percent to $407.2 million from $430.5 million

• Lacey rose 6.68 percent to $245.7 million from $230.3 million

• Tumwater rose 1.77 percent to $100.2 million from $98.5 million

• Yelm rose 8.39 percent to $37.4 million from $34.5 million

The retail trade data show:

• Thurston County increased 2.92 percent to $452.6 million from $439.7 million

• Olympia fell 5.63 percent to $217.9 million from $230.9 million

• Lacey rose 14.75 percent to $133.6 million from $116.4 million

• Tumwater rose 4.63 percent to $44.6 million from $42.6 million

• Yelm rose 52.83 percent to $18.6 million from $12.2 million