MONEY: Carreira: Retail, restaurant and bar sales down, accommodation up

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In July, Cochise Countys inflation-adjusted retail and restaurant and bar sales were down, while accommodation receipts were up, compared to Julylastyear.

CochiseCounty

Retail sales were down 1.6 percent in July, after adjusting for inflation. These sales have been down in six of the past eight months in the year-over-year comparisons, following growth in seven of eight months. For the first seven months of 2014, retail sales were down 4.9 percent compared to the same periodlastyear.

Restaurant and bar sales were down less than a tenth of a percent in July, after adjusting for inflation. For the first seven months of the year, sales were up 1.8 percent. Sales have been up in five of the most recentninemonths.

Accommodation sales were up 8.1 percent in July compared to July 2013. Accommodation sales include hotel, motel, RV Park, and other temporary lodging stays of less than 30 days. In the first seven months of 2014, countywide accommodation receipts were down0.6percent.

Despite the long-run decline in countywide accommodation receipts, sales have been up in five of the past nine months, helped along by ongoing construction of the new hospital in Sierra Vista and several other large nonresidential construction projects in other areasthecounty.

Bisbee

Retail sales were down 5.4 percent in July compared to July 2013. In the first seven months of 2014, sales were down 2.6 percent. Bisbees retail sales have been down in six of the pastninemonths.

Restaurant and bar sales were down 16.1 percent in July. In the first seven months of this year, however, sales were up 4.5 percent. Sales have been up in 12 of the past16months.

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MONEY: Carreira: Retail, restaurant and bar sales down, accommodation up