Jun 12, 2008

Alabama retail sales climb 9 percentBy Lauren B. CooperBizJournals.com

Recent numbers indicate that retail sales are on the upswing in Alabama and across the country.

The Alabama Department of Revenue reported Thursday that sales tax collections in the state rose by more than 9 percent in April, year-over-year, while nationwide retail sales rose nearly 4 percent in May, according the National Retail Federation.

“When the weather turned warm, Alabamians seem to have returned to their normal lives, which means driving and enjoying themselves outdoors,” said Robert A. Robicheaux, chairman of the Department of Marketing and Industrial Distribution at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, in a news release issued by the Alabama Retail Association.

“Alabama’s economy is not nearly as soft as in some states,” he said. “Even Alabama restaurants are not being ravaged like those in other parts of the United States.”

The National Retail Federation attributes May’s rise in sales to tax rebate checks.

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