Big finish to 2020 for Douglas, Washoe county merchants
This statue that decorates the town of Gardnerville in Douglas County reminds residents that businesses are safely open.
Photo: Kurt Hildebrand / The Record Courier
Douglas County merchants closed out 2020 with a bang, according to the latest monthly figures released Feb. 22 by the Nevada Department of Taxation. The county’s businesses reported a 10.2% YOY increase to $93.17 million in taxable sales in December, up from $84.47 million in 2019. The county is running 13.3% ahead of the fiscal year to date with $496 million. General merchandise stores led the charge, bringing in $14.1 million. Douglas County is home to two Walmarts and a Target that helped drive those numbers. Nonstore retailers, including home delivery giant Amazon, drove $11 million in sales during December, up 24.6% from December 2019. Christmas shopping helped pump up sales in those categories. Electronics and appliance stores experienced a 9 percent bump during the month to $4.2 million. Taxable sales at food services and drinking places were down 15.4 percent at $9.2 million, while accommodations were up 16.9% to $3.27 million. Most of that revenue is raised at the Stateline casinos. Building materials, garden equipment and supplies saw a 39.9% increase to $5.59 million, reflecting current housing construction in the county. Food and beverage stores brought in $5.22 million, while motor vehicle and parts dealers saw a 58.8% increase to $4.49 million. That was mostly for parts, as Douglas is home to only one small car dealership. Sales tax collections in the county actually exceeded that guaranteed by the state by $33,650 during December. The county received $1.31 million but raised $1.343 million.
ELSEWHERE IN THE STATE According to the Feb. 22 report, several other counties enjoyed a solid December in terms of taxable sales, including in Washoe County, which reported a 16.8% increase ($1.091 billion in December 2020 compared to $934.1 million in December 2019). Clark County, meanwhile, saw a 12.9% decrease — $4.188 billion in 2020 versus $4.806 billion in 2019).
Storey County also saw a big decrease — $70.6 million in 2020 versus $96.2 million in 2019. Other highlights from the report are as follows:
Carson City: 15.8% YOY increase ($140.6 million in 2020 compared to $121.5 million in 2019).
Churchill: 41% YOY increase ($50.6 million in 2020 compared to $35.9 million in 2019.
Elko: 0.8% YOY decease ($142.5 million in 2020 compared to $143.5 million in 2019).
Lyon: 12.5 YOY increase ($69.2 million in 2020 compared to $61.5 million in 2019).
NNBW Editor Kevin MacMillan contributed to this report.
