Taxable retail sales reach $26 billion in first quarter of 2013

as compared to the same time period a year ago, according to a report released today by the Washington State Department of Revenue.

Retail trade reached $12 billion, an 8.2 percent increase from the first quarter of 2012. Retail trade is a subset of total taxable retail sales, which includes retailers but excludes industries such as services and construction.

Taxable sales rose in many of the state’s major industries:

*Construction increased to $4 billion (16.9 percent)

* Building materials, garden equipment and supplies grew to $1 billion (14.2 percent)

* New and used car sales hit $2.3 billion (11.6 percent)

* General merchandise stores tallied $2.3 billion (7.1 percent)

* Accommodations and food services reached $2.9 billion (4.7 percent)

Taxable retail sales have nearly recovered to first quarter 2008 levels, when they last topped $26 billion dollars.

Editor’s Note: Complete tax statistics for taxable retail sales and retail trade by county and city as well as a breakdown of sales statewide by major industry are posted on Revenue’s website: http://dor.wa.gov/Content/AboutUs/newsroom/2013/trs-q12013.aspx.Results for all counties and selected cities, including sales breakdowns by industry sector are also online on the Quarterly Business Review page.