This article was in the Free Press today:
The holiday season is also the shopping season, and retailers rely on December to hoist revenues that may languish in other parts of the year.
It’s clear they need the boost. Taxable retail sales sagged $380 million — 7.2 percent — statewide from 2008 to 2009. Double-digit percentage declines dogged five of the top 10 municipalities for retail revenue.
Essex, bolstered in February by the arrival of a new Lowe’s home improvement store, was the only municipality among the top 10 — and among the few statewide — to show a year-over-year increase.
Taxable retail sales are the most reliable set of sales data to examine, according to the state Tax Department . The sales figures do not include clothing or footwear purchases since those items are no longer taxed.
| Municipality | 2009 | 2008 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Williston | $367,569,891 | $416,754,252 | -11.8% |
| 2. South Burlington | $323,522,125 | $335,966,213 | -3.7% |
| 3. Colchester | $230,556,087 | $262,420,480 | -12.1% |
| 4. Rutland City | $232,003,034 | $242,309,832 | -4.3% |
| 5. Burlington | $195,023,804 | $233,129,104 | -12.6% |
| 6. Bennington | $127,659,266 | $136,726,184 | -6.6% |
| 7. Rutland Town | $115,515,934 | $134,389,543 | -14.0% |
| 8. Manchester | $104,745,751 | $125,648,454 | -16.6% |
| 9. Barre City | $101,765,600 | $105,624,318 | -3.7% |
| 10. Essex | $100,571,277 | $94,403,480 | +6.5% |
| Vermont | $4,919,076,690 | $5,299,997,250 | -7.2% |
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