“Taxable retail sales nosedive in county”
“Year-over-year taxable retail sales in Thurston County fell more than 10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, shattering the record for the largest-ever drop, new state Department of Revenue data show.

The previous record was set in 1982, when year-over-year taxable sales fell 5.8 percent in the first quarter, Revenue spokesman Mike Gowrylow said.

In the fourth quarter of 2008, year-over-year taxable retail sales:

Thurston County: Fell 10.63 percent to $984.1 million from $1.10 billion

Olympia: Fell 12.96 percent to $423.6 million from $486.7 million

Lacey: Fell 13.53 percent to $261.1 million from $301.9 million

Tumwater: Fell 12.61 percent to $101.7 million from $116.4 million

Yelm: Fell 0.28 percent to $41.7 million from $41.8 million

The state Department of Revenue also releases a separate category of taxable retail sales known as retail trade, which is considered a better measure of consumer purchases. That shows:

Thurston County: Fell 10.06 percent to $493.9 million from $549.1 million

Olympia: Fell 15.57 percent to $225.7 million from $267.3 million

Lacey: Fell 7.11 percent to $153.1 million from $164.8 million

Tumwater: Fell 6.43 percent to $51.1 million from $54.6 million

Yelm: Fell 1.80 percent to $22.79 million from $23.21 million,” quoting The Olympian on April 11th.

Ed. Note: The fourth quarter of 2008 was the first time ever that comparable year over year quarterly data could be accurately compared with Yelm’s new Super Wal-Mart in the picture, as the 4th quarter of 2007 was the first full quarter Wal-mart operated here [opened July 17, 2007, in the 3rd quarter.].

KING-5 TV did a report touting Yelm’s sales growth with the year over year third quarter results. Yelm Community Blog readers know that their report was skewed and not a true comparison, since wal-Mart was only open a portion of 3rd quarter 2007, as covered here on January 23, 2009.

Even with a Wal-Mart operational in Yelm’s year over year comparisons, Yelm did not show retail sales increases. However, Yelm’s retail sales fell at a measurably smaller rate than Thurston County, Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater.

Don’t you wonder what contributed to such small retail sales decreases here?
Olympian, Tumwater & Lacey all have mega discount stores like Cabella’s, Home Depots, Lowe’s, a Super Wal-Mart & Costcos and all had major retail sales drops compared to Yelm.

WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO YELM’S SMALL RETAIL SALES DECLINES?

One thing the local newspaper continually omits nor will you read there is the impact of Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment students coming to their classes here from all over the world and spending their dollars locally, as shared with the community in this recent full-page, newspaper ad in The Olympian & the local weekly.

Ramtha School of Enlightenment officials reported in their November, 2008 ad about the first three quarters,
“A large number of RSE students from the United States and all over the world traveled to the City of Yelm and surrounding community…to participate in their classes at Ramthas School of Enlightenment. RSE students from thirty-nine foreign countries from South Africa, Romania, Thailand, and Brazil, to name a few made their way to our community, many for the first time.

RSE conducts a demographic survey regularly to measure the economic impact RSE students make in our local community during school events.”

2,092 students attended RSE events on the Yelm Campus in the 4th quarter of 2008.

UPDATE: Tuesday, April 14
“Wall Street disappointed by retail sales data”
“A setback to hopes that the economy may be bottoming out”
From the AP