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Growth spurred by construction, new and used auto sales
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Dec. 17, 2019 – Strong sales in construction and new and used automobiles continued to boost the state’s taxable retail sales in second quarter 2019. The taxable retail sales increased by 7.6% in the second quarter of 2019 over the same period in 2018, reaching $46 billion.
Retail trade, a subset of all taxable retail sales in the state, also increased by 8% to a total of $19.2 billion. Retail trade includes sales of items such as clothing, furniture and automobiles, but excludes other industries, such as services and construction.
Taxable retail sales are transactions subject to the retail sales tax, including sales by retailers, the construction industry, manufacturing and other sectors.
These figures are part of a quarterly report released today by the Washington State Department of Revenue. The taxable retail sales figures compare the same quarter year-to-year to equalize any seasonal effects that would influence consumer and business spending.
Some highlights of second-quarter 2019 (April - June) taxable retail sales and retail trade sales include:
- Construction rose 10.1% to $9.7 billion.
- Taxable retail sales reported by new and used auto dealers increased 3.4% to $3.6 billion.
- Sales of building materials, garden equipment and supplies increased 5% to $2.3 billion.
- Miscellaneous retailers’ sales increased 24.9% to 2.8 billion.
- Apparel and accessories sales rose 5.8% to $1.1 billion.
See second quarter 2019 taxable retail sales and retail trade sales by industry.
Here are highlights of 10 counties and cities in the state:
| County | Taxable retail sales | Percent change | Retail trade | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | $18.6 billion | 7.2 | $6.4 billion | 7.7 |
| Pierce | $4.7 billion | 7.7 | $2.3 billion | 6.3 |
| Snohomish | $4.2 billion | 7.1 | $2.1 billion | 6.9 |
| Spokane | $2.9 billion | 9.7 | $1.4 billion | 11.8 |
| Clark | $2.1 billion | 8.4 | $895 million | 8.1 |
| Thurston | $1.6 billion | 13.0 | $769 million | 10.0 |
| Kitsap | $1.3 billion | 4.1 | $665 million | 7.7 |
| Whatcom | $1.2 billion | 6.9 | $560 million | 11.2 |
| Benton | $1.2 billion | 11.5 | $570 million | 9.0 |
| Yakima | $1.1 billion | 3.5 | $536 million | 6.1 |
| City | Taxable retail sales | Percent change | Retail trade | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $7.6 billion | 5.6 | $2.1 billion | 8.0 |
| Bellevue | $2.2 billion | 11.8 | $882 million | 8.0 |
| Tacoma | $1.5 billion | 0.1 | $677 million | 4.7 |
| Spokane City | $1.4 billion | 4.4 | $641 million | 5.7 |
| Vancouver | $1.2 billion | 10.2 | $497 million | 7.6 |
| Renton | $818 million | 5.0 | $390 million | 3.3 |
| Everett | $801 million | 6.3 | $370 million | 1.6 |
| Puyallup | $682 million | 6.6 | $444 million | 4.7 |
| Kennewick | $592 million | 8.2 | $338 million | 6.4 |
| Pasco | $396 million | 6.4 | $214 million | 6.9 |
Find out more information about taxable retail sales in:
Check Revenue’s Statistics and Reports page for additional detail about taxable retail sales.
Understanding how businesses are classified
Revenue uses business tax return data to create this quarterly report. Businesses are categorized under the U.S. Census Bureau’s classification system based on their primary taxable activity. The North American Industry Classification System – or NAICS – is the same method federal statistical agencies use for the purpose of analyzing economic data.
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