Sales surge continues through April

A surge in taxable sales accelerated in April with Douglas merchants bringing in $83.15 million during the month, up from $55.3 million in 2020.

The county’s taxable sales for the fiscal year started out the first month of the last quarter at $807.6 million, up 18.3 percent from the same point last year.

April 2020 marked the first full month of the coronavirus lockdown and it showed, with accommodations not bringing in a nickel during the month, compared with $2.5 million this year.

Food services and drinking places, regularly a top category in the county, were also significantly impacted bringing in half their usual amount at $5.3 million last year. In April 2021, the category was back on top with $9.8 million.

General retail stores, like the county’s two Walmarts and the Target, on the other hand, brought in $9.7 million last year and $10.2 million this year during April.

While online sales surged during April last year with $6.45 million in taxable sales, that increase didn’t slow down a year later with $8.2 million.

The construction boom has continued unabated, as well, with $7.2 million in building material, and garden equipment and supplies sold in April 2021, compared to $6 million the year before.

Motor vehicle and parts dealers did very well in April 2021, with $5.5 million in sales, up from $1.99 million last year.

Not all the bumps were the result of consumer spending.

Merchant wholesalers of durable goods generated $6.5 million in taxable sales during April 2021, compared to $4.27 million.

Sales tax in Douglas generated $1.17 million of the $1.3 million the county is guaranteed by the state.

The casinos at Stateline won $20.29 million during May compared to just $17,457 during the last month the casinos were completely shut down in 2020. Carson City and East Fork Townships, which are combined in gaming totals, raked in $12.19 million, up from $2,529 in May 2020.

Douglas had an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent during May, with 1,023 residents on the jobless rolls. The county’s workforce was 21,693. The unemployment rate dropped from 5.1 percent.