Clark County retail sales & trade up

Taxable retail sales in Clark County increased 5.3 percent to $1.2 billion during the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, the Washington State Department of Revenue reported this week. Statewide, taxable retail sales increased 5.6 percent.

 Clark County retail trade, a subset of all sales that excludes non-retail sectors such as construction and services, rose 4.8 percent to $564 million.

Statewide, among major industries, construction was up 9.6 percent to $4.7 billion, accommodations and food services increased 7.0 percent to $3.1 billion, motor vehicles and parts rose 10.3 percent to $2.9 billion and general merchandise stores were up 1.3 percent to $3.1 billion.