Taxable sales increase 4.9% for first quarter

The state’s taxable retail sales totals grew to $27.3

billion in the first quarter of 2014, recording a 4.9

percent increase over the same period in 2013.

Retail trade, a subset of total taxable retail sales,

rose 2.4 percent to $12.3 billion.

The results come from a quarterly report released

by the Washington State Department of Revenue of

taxable retail sales by industry. The report compares

the first quarters of 2014 to 2013, which equalizes

any seasonal effects of consumer purchasing habits.

Taxable sales were up in many sectors: Construction

of buildings – 6.1 percent; furniture and

home furnishings – 6.4 percent; new and used auto

sales – 6.9 percent, and E-commerce and mail order

sales – 18.9 percent.

Some sectors saw a small decline, including

department store purchases, which dropped -9.5

percent over the first three months of 2013.

Wahkiakum County's sales total increased. 0.5

percent for the comparison period, totalling $6.66

million.

Pacific Count's sales decreased 1.6 percent during

the year, from $47.6 million to $46.8 million.

Cowlitz County's sales increased 12.9 percent from

$298 million to $336 million.

Taxable retail sales and retail trade by county

and city, and a breakdown of sales statewide by

industries are available here (http://dor.wa.gov/

Content/AboutUs/newsroom/2014/trs-QT12014.

aspx). Results for all counties and selected cities,

including breakdowns of sales by industry sector, are

available here (http://dor.wa.gov/Content/AboutUs/

StatisticsAndReports/2014/qbr114/default.aspx).