People bought more stuff in Q3 of 2016 compared with 2015

People in Washington bought more goods and services in last year’s third quarter compared with the same time in 2015, according to data from the state Department of Revenue.

Statewide during July, August and September, people bought $38.5 billion worth of taxable goods and services — 7.4 percent more than in the same time period in 2015, according to sales tax data released last week by the state Department of Revenue.

The data include all transactions that are subject to retail sales tax, said Kim Schmanke, spokeswoman for Revenue. Such purchases include an array of products and services: construction supplies, hotel stays, movie tickets, cars, jewelry and more.

Tacoma taxable retail sales increased by 4.9 percent in last year’s third quarter compared with the prior year, to a total of almost $1.3 billion. For Pierce County as a whole, retail sales increased at a faster clip, by 6.2 percent, for a total of nearly $3.9 billion.

Pierce County’s taxable purchases amounted to 10 percent of total state taxable sales.

King County remains the retail sales powerhouse of the state, the data show. Taxable retail sales there in the third quarter of 2016 amounted to nearly $15.6 billion — more than 40 percent of the state’s taxable retail sales, an increase of 7.7 percent.

This story was originally published February 10, 2017 at 5:11 PM with the headline "People bought more stuff in Q3 of 2016 compared with 2015."