Jul 4, 2011

Will County retail numbers spikeBy Cindy Wojdyla CainNapervilleSun.SunTimes.com

Unemployment numbers are sluggish. Home sales and prices are languishing.

But one recently released statistic showed promise for the Will County economy. First quarter 2011 retail sales were up 9.88 percent compared to the first quarter of 2010, according to Chicago-based Melaniphy & Associates report. That was the biggest percent increase compared to Cook and its other collar counties, according to the report. And Will County was the only county to pose higher retail sales than in the pre-recession first quarter of 2007.

The county’s retail sales totaled almost $1.67 billion, up from $1.52 billion in the first quarter of last year and $1.57 billion in the first quarter of 2007.

Publisher John Melaniphy said he believes things will continue to get better in the southwestern and western suburbs going forward.

“That’s where the future is at, in my opinion, in Will and Kane (counties),” he said.

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