U.S. retail and food sales up 1%, local businesses fail to notice the trend

TUCSON, Arizona (13 News) – Retail and food service sales nationwide rose by billions from June to July.

However, looking at Southern Arizona retailers, there is a decline across multiple industries.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, sales are up 1%, but certain stores in the Tucson area aren’t seeing the same.

“Sales always go down during the summer,” said Holly Harper, owner of Threads for birdhouses,“Usually after May, people leave the city. People, like those who go on vacation, leave during the summer, which affects sales and we don’t get as many visitors. We get a lot of visitors during the year, but not during the summer.”

Heat is not the only factor of change.

Apparel and clothing accessories were one of the markets that didn’t see much growth since June, with the Census Bureau reporting a preliminary decline of 0.1 percent.

“I think it matters a lot what type of business you have and where you are in the country,” Harper said. “You can’t just apply the U.S. number and assume it applies to everyone.”

Harper said that from June to July, overall sales at his store were down 35 percent.

To compensate for the slower traffic, Harper creates events to drive more traffic to the store.

She also has a loyal customer base who want to support local businesses in Tucson, and says that while other stores may offer the same products at a cheaper price, local stores offer a more personalized experience.

“It’s definitely about getting people interested in different things, inviting them into the store and seeing what we have, and once they’re here, they’re inspired,” she said.

The Census Bureau report is available HERE.

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