APE GIRARDEAU COUNTY LEADS STATE IN 1997 PER CAPITA SALES

It's official!

Cape Girardeau County had the highest retail sales per capita of any county in the state in 1997. The retail numbers for 1997 were released earlier this year by the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau's Economic Census, revealing the county's sales per capita at $14,532.

Going into the 21st century, it appears likely Cape County is holding on to its top ranking.

It's unofficial!

The county, with average retail sales per capita of $14,075 maintained its ranking in 1998, according to 1998 retail sales totals provided by the Missouri Department of Economics (DEED).

It's also unofficial!

Retail numbers are not yet available for 1999, but the county's sales tax numbers for last year indicate the county had a higher sales per capita than 1998, at $14,918. This could be enough to assure the county's retail spending per capita will again be tops in the state.

The official totals are profiled every five years, from the local to the national level, and this year's late January reports reveal some good numbers for the local county for 1997.

* $959,462,000 retail sales for the year, from 473 retail establishments.

* Retail sales per capita of the more than 66,000 people in the county was $14,532.

"This is exciting news for Cape Girardeau," said John Mehner, Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer. "This proves what we already knew, that our area is a regional center of commerce to customers throughout our area in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois."

Mehner continued:

"For our area to have a higher retail sales per capita than counties like St. Louis, Jackson and Jefferson is a testament to the business climate in Cape Girardeau."

The numbers also translate into $14,532 in retail sales per capita, topping the statewide average of $9,480 sales per capita and the national average of $9,195 per capita.

These are the "first reports issued from the 1997 economic census.

The numbers were released recently by commerce department under secretary for economic affairs Robert J. Shaper, Census Bureau Director Kenneth Precut and Bureau of Economic Analysis Director J. Steven Landefeld.

The economic census provides a detailed portrait of the economy every five years, from the national to the local level. Results from the 1997 census will provide information on businesses operating at more than 21 million sites, giving key information on the number of businesses and employees, the value of shipments, sales, receipts, revenue and payroll.

The report also shows sales or receipts, employment and payroll for 168 different kinds of retail businesses.

The report indicates Cape County had 473 retail establishments in 1997, including 130 clothing stores; 54 gasoline stations (40 with convenience stores); 62 motor vehicle and parts dealers; 32 auto dealers; 42 furniture and home furnishings stores; 30 health and personal care stores; and 16 grocery stores.

Retail sales were down overall in Cape Girardeau County in 1998, falling to $941 million, dropping the per capita average to $14,075, but sales rebounded last year.

In Cape Girardeau County, retail sales topped out at $998 million, unofficially, which translated into sales per capita at $14,918.

The per capita was based on about 66,000 county residents, reported by the Census Bureau.

Cape Girardeau ranked 10th in overall retail sales in the official 1997 totals. The 473 businesses involved in sales employ about 6,000 people and have an annual payroll of more than $88 million, said Mehner.

St. Louis County led all counties in retail sales, at more than $12 billion, but the large population of St. Louis County held the average to about $10,000 per capita.

Not to confuse people on the per capita average, this does not mean county residents are spending more than $940 million to $990 million a year on retail sales.

"Being a regional hub, we see buyers from a wide area throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois," said Mehner.