EBR retail spending down
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Retail spending dipped for the fifth straight month in August, falling just under 1 percent in East Baton Rouge Parish, according to city-parish sales tax collection figures
Consumers and businesses spent $630.9 million that month compared with $635.9 million in August 2008. Spending has been down six of eight months this year and hasn’t topped year-ago figures since March.
Finance Director Marsha Hanlon, however, said the city-parish is pleased the gap is narrowing a little in actual tax collections.
Total sales tax collections for the city-parish, which do include vehicle sales, were down only 1.65 percent, compared with drops of 5.45 percent and 3.35 percent for July and June, respectively.
Inside the city limits, retail spending fell almost 11 percent to $326.3 million, but rose almost 13 percent in the outlying areas of the parish to $304.5 million.
For the year, spending in the entire parish is down just over 1 percent to $5.03 billion.
Inside the city limits it is down 8 percent to $2.70 billion but up 9 percent in the outer parts of the parish at $2.33 billion.
The figures do not include vehicle sales because those numbers come in from the state one month behind other collections.
For the year, total sales tax collections for the city-parish are $107.9 million, down $2.7 million, or 2.43 percent, compared with the first eight months of 2008.
Hanlon said declines are forecast for at least the next two months.
Next month’s figures will be competing with a strange set from Hurricane Gustav-affected September 2008.
Hanlon said the first half of that month was severely depressed, but was followed by a boom during the second half.
October’s figures, she said, will quite likely pale in comparison since Gustav recovery spending was still in full swing.
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