Driven by a huge jump in sales by general merchandise stores, Carson City’s taxable sales increased 7.8 percent in May.
That category, normally the capital’s second largest tax generator after auto sales, increased 37.5 percent to $15.4 million, in part because of the opening of Bealls.
Carson City was also helped by a 16 percent increase in food and beverage sales and a doubling of sales by sporting goods stores in large part because of Sportsman’s Warehouse opening in April.
Auto sales were actually down in Carson by 4 percent to $18.4 million.
Total taxable sales for the month were $74.66 million.
Statewide, taxable sales increased 8 percent in May to $4.25 billion as both Clark and Washoe Counties reported double-digit gains. In Clark, the $3.2 billion in total sales represented a 12.7 percent increase over the same month of 2013. In Washoe, the increase was 11.7 percent to $559.63 million.
In Clark, numerous categories reported solid increases including motor vehicle sales, which increased more than 13 percent and general merchandise stores, which were up 36.5 percent in Clark. General merchandise was up more than 35 percent in Washoe as well.
Douglas County reported a 1.9 percent increase to $47.47 million. Eating and drinking places, the county’s largest category, increased 4 percent to $10.2 million but general merchandise stores, the second biggest, saw a 2.5 percent decrease to $7.4 million.
Lyon County was down 5.9 percent to just more than $31 million for the month. While most categories saw solid gains — including general merchandise, which increased 89 percent, the area suffered a huge one-time negative in the “Publishing Industries” category, that went from nearly $200,000 a year ago to a negative $1.4 million this May. No explanation was available for that swing.
Churchill County didn’t fare as well, reporting a 20 percent decrease compared to May of last year to $28.5 million. Motor vehicle sales were down nearly 13 percent to $2.65 million and the utilities category was down 73.5 percent to $2.7 million. The bright spot in Churchill was a 94 percent increase in general merchandise sales to just more than $7 million.