Wal-Mart sales boost county's third quarter talley

Thanks to Wal-Mart, the economy of Whitman County saw a marked upswing during the third quarter of 2011.

Figures released Friday by the state Department of Revenue showed taxable sales in Whitman County between July and September were more than $145 million, up nearly 15 percent from the same period in 2010.

Retail sales, which exclude construction and services, rose 30 percent, from $44 million in 2010 to $58 million in 2011.

Most of that came from Wal-Mart.

“No doubt about it, Wal-Mart’s been good for our city,” said John Sherman, Pullman city supervisor.

Though the state does not specify from which businesses sales figures come, it does break down the data by sector.

In third quarter 2010, $2.9 million of sales from stores classified under general merchandise were made in Pullman. That same classification in 2011 showed $12.9 million worth of sales.

The third quarter of 2010 was the last before Wal-Mart opened its Pullman store in October 2010.

Most all of Pullman’s economic growth came from Wal-Mart, as the city’s economy rose to more than $100 million; 11.4 percent higher than the 2010 figure of more than $90 million.

Wal-Mart sales had a similar impact on the county’s overall economy, as general merchandise stores generated $13 million in third quarter 2011 compared to $2.8 million in the prior year.

Other factors picked up over 2010.

County Treasurer Robert Lothspeich said farm implements reported big sales figures during the third quarter of 2011.

Though the state does not specifically categorize farm equipment, Mike Gowrylow, press agent for revenue, said farm machinery is likely put into the motor vehicle category.

For Whitman County, motor vehicle sales rose from $10 million in third quarter 2010 to $12 million in third quarter 2011.

Construction also spiked the local economy, with new buildings and highways increasing from $25.5 million in the 2010 third quarter to $27 million in 2011.

Lothspeich expects the fourth quarter 2011 report will show a marked increase on construction activity as work on Palouse Wind’s north county wind farm began in October.

Statewide, the economy took a 3.2 percent bump to $27.3 billion. Retail sales rose 2.4 percent to $12.2 billion.