Food and drinks help boost March taxable sales

CARSON CITY — Consumers spending their disposable dollars on drinks and food in bars and restaurants helped push Clark County’s taxable sales to $3.5 billion in March, a 2.8 percent increase over the same month in 2015.

Statewide, Nevada taxable sales saw a 3.1 percent increase in March over the same month a year ago, totaling $4.69 billion, the state Taxation Department said in its monthly report.

In Clark County, 3,450 food and drinking places accounted for more than $900 million of the total taxable sales, by far the largest category in the monthly report. Spending in the category was up 1.5 percent over March 2015.

Car sales were another big component of Clark County sales, totaling $409 million for a 5 percent increase over March 2015.

Not to be outdone were shoppers, with general merchandise stores accounting for $328 million in total sales for a 3.8 percent gain. Clothes shoppers were off their game, however, adding $274 million to the total but representing a 6.5 percent decline.

For the fiscal year to date, Clark County taxable sales total $29.1 billion, up 4.6 percent over the same period in 2015.

Ten of Nevada’s 17 counties recorded an increase in March. Churchill, Douglas, Eureka, Humboldt, Lyon, Mineral, and White Pine recorded a decrease.

The Tesla factor, along with other development in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center east of Reno, can be seen in the March increase in Storey County. The county’s taxable sales in March totaled $18.6 million, a 64 percent increase over March 2015.

Statewide gross revenue collections from Sales and Use Taxes amounted to $370.9 million for March, which represents a 3.45 percent increase compared to March 2015.

Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801