Retail sales increase slightly in calendar year 2023

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- July 11, 2024 -- Taxable retail sales saw a slight 1.8% increase in 2023, reaching
$231.6 billion, thanks to sales increases in construction and new and used auto dealers.

Retail trade, a subset of all taxable retail sales in the state, decreased by -0.5% for a total of $96.3
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 an annual taxable retail sales report released today by the Washington State
Department of Revenue.

Here are some sectors that saw increases in taxable retail sales during 2023 compared 2022.

• Taxable retail sales reported by new and used auto dealers rose by 0.2% to $17.4 billion.
• Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise grew by 0.6% to $12.7 billion.
• Construction increased 2.1% to $48.7 billion.
• General Merchandise Stores increased 0.8% to $13.6 billion.
• Grocery and Convenience Stores rose 5.6% to $5.1 billion.
• Apparel and Accessories sales increased by 0.4% to $5.6 billion.

Industries that saw decreases in sales in 2023 include:

• Lawn and garden supplies and equipment dipped -2.6% to $1.1 billion.
• Building materials, garden equipment and supplies saw a drop of -8.0% to $9.6 billion.
• Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance saw sales decrease -3.8% to $9.3 billion

See calendar year 2023 taxable retail sales and retail trade sales by industry.

Find out more information about taxable retail sales in:

Counties
Cities

Some highlights of 10 counties and cities in the state:

County	Taxable retail sales	Percent change	Retail trade	Percent change
King	$ 88.1 billion	1.6	$ 30.6 billion	-1.3
Pierce	$ 23.4 billion	-1.9	$ 11.6 billion	-2.4
Snohomish	$ 22.1 billion	1.7	$ 10.8 billion	1.2
Spokane	$ 15.0 billion	2.3	$ 7.2 billion	-0.2
Clark	$ 11.9 billion	2.4	$ 5.0 billion	-0.8
Thurston	$ 8.0 billion	1.5	$ 3.9 billion	-1.7
Kitsap	$ 6.8 billion	0.6	$ 3.2 billion	-1.8
Benton	$ 6.0 billion	3.2	$ 3.0 billion	1.5
Yakima	$ 5.6 billion	4.4	$ 2.7 billion	1.7
Whatcom	$ 6.4 billion	2.5	$ 2.8 billion	0.5

City	Taxable retail sales	Percent change	Retail trade	Percent change
Seattle	$ 34.7 billion	3.1	$ 10.0 billion	-0.1
Bellevue	$ 10.4 billion	-1.0	$ 4.0 billion	-3.0
Tacoma	$ 7.0 billion	-1.5	$ 3.3 billion	-2.7
Spokane City	$ 7.1 billion	1.6	$ 3.1 billion	-1.7
Vancouver	$ 6.6 billion	3.7	$ 2.8 billion	0.6
Everett	$ 4.2 billion	5.0	$ 1.7 billion	-1.0
Renton	$ 4.1 billion	0.4	$ 1.9 billion	-9.3
Puyallup	$ 3.0 billion	-3.9	$ 1.9 billion	-5.1
Kennewick	$ 2.9 billion	2.4	$ 1.7 billion	0.9
Pasco	$ 2.3 billion	-3.4	$ 1.1 billion	-2.0

Compare taxable retail sales numbers for the fourth quarter 2023, calendar year 2023 and previous years by checking out the "Retail sales for cities and counties" page on our website.

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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