Online sales spike in April

Taxable sales by nonstore retailers more than doubled in April 2024 compared to April 2023 and marked a solid year of increases in the mostly online shopping sector in Douglas County.

The last time nonstore retailers posted a decrease was April 2023, when merchants reported $7.9 million in taxable sales.

A year later, the total was $16.64 million, an increase of 110.7 percent according to figures released at the end of June by the Nevada Department of Taxation.

April also marked the eighth month in a row of double digit percentage increases for nonstore retailers.

Prior to April, January saw a 57.2 percent increase to $12.62 million. March had a 49.5 percent increase to $12.28 million.

Douglas is an outlier in the nonstore sector with most other counties in the state reporting an increase of around 10 percent with the entire state reporting a 12.4 percent increase in April.

Storey County actually posted a decrease from $9.9 million in April 2023, compared to $1.4 million this year.

July 1 began the third fiscal year that the county’s sales tax revenue must be raised entirely within its boundaries. Until July 1, 2022, Douglas still received revenue based on its population. The capture of sales tax for online purchases contributed to that change.

State taxation officials have told the counties to budget for a 1 percent decrease in revenues from sales and other taxes in the 2024-25 fiscal year.

In April, Douglas County merchants reported $90.8 million in total taxable sales, a 16.5 percent increase over April 2023. The county total is up 6.5 percent to $964.46 million since the fiscal year began July 1, 2023.

General merchandise stores, which includes both Douglas Walmarts and the Target, saw a 4.7 percent decline in sales during April, with the year so far showing only a 1 percent increase in the sector.

Building materials and garden equipment and supplies were up 3.9 percent to $7 million.

Tourism seemed to do well in April, with food services and drinking places raising $10.6 million, up 5.1 percent. Accommodations were up 14.8 percent to $3.7 million, but amusement and gambling went down 17.5 percent to $1.17 million in taxable sales.

That’s the exact opposite of gaming numbers for Stateline, which posted a 31.59 percent increase during April to $17.99 million.

May’s gaming numbers, which were issued at the end of June that saw Stateline post a 9.41 percent decrease to $17.6 million. So far, the casinos at Stateline, which generate most of the county’s gaming revenue, are running behind 1.23 percent at $226.59 million.

Casinos in East Fork and Carson City townships posted a 3.26 percent increase to $11.93 million. Because the Gaming Control Board combines Carson Valley and Carson City numbers, Douglas only receives part of that amount.

Douglas County unemployment increased from 4.6 to 4.9 percent in May, according to the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

The state reported on June 25 that there were 1,098 workers receiving unemployment benefits, with 22,519 in the labor pool.

 There was a 69-worker drop between April and May possibly due to the end of ski season.