JOINING THE BILLIONAIRES' CLUB: SHOPPERS PUSH COUNTY REVENUE PAST $1,000,000,000

Cape Girardeau County's more than 470 retail establishments, headed by strong sales in furniture, appliances and food, passed the billion-dollar annual sales milestone after flirting with it for five years.

The figure keeps Cape Girardeau in the top 10 Missouri counties for retail sales volume and means more sales tax dollars for local projects, primarily thanks to the county's status as a regional hub for shopping.

"We're over here every week," said Charles Holtzclaw of McClure, Ill., who shopped with his wife, Mary, on Saturday. "Many of the major stores are here, and Cape Girardeau is easily accessible for us."

The numbers translate into $14,918 in retail sales per Cape Girardeau County resident, topping the statewide average of $9,480 and the national average of $9.195 per capita.

As a regional hub, the Cape Girardeau area attracts frequent shoppers from a five-state area -- Southeast Missouri, Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois, Northern Arkansas, and Western Tennessee.

Don Fisher, JCPenney manager, said his store tracks customers and finds they include out-of-towners who visit month after month. He credits the county's diverse offerings.

"We're a regional center on a major interstate," said Fisher. "We're a regional medical center, we're home to Southeast Missouri State University, we're a major industrial center and we're located along the Mississippi River."

News of hitting the billion-dollar mark, achieved over the summer, had local elected officials and financial experts crowing.

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

The county posted $1,085,687,400 retail sales for the calendar year, July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000, up from $998 million the prior fiscal year.

The city of Cape Girardeau posted $774,500,000 during fiscal year 1999-2000, up from $658 million in 1996.

Cape County's offerings include 130 clothing stores, 54 gasoline stations, 60 motor vehicle and parts dealers, 30 auto dealers, 42 furniture and home furnishings stores and 15 grocery markets -- most of them in the city of Cape Girardeau. City shoppers typically pay 6.725 percent in sales tax at the register, but the amount is different for groceries and restaurant meals.

The county has been ranked among the top 10 counties in overall retail sales the past three years, according to totals provided by the Missouri Department of Economics. St. Louis County continues to record top retail sales, at more than $12 billion annually, but the large population of the county limited the per capita average to about $10,000.

But because of the high per capita figure, Cape County residents enjoy the benefits of more sales tax revenue.

The city has received more than $7.7 million from its share of retail sales taxes during the past year about half the general fund budget, according to city finance director John Richbourg. Over the past five years, the city has received more than $35 million, ranging from $6.5 million in 1996 to $7.4 million in 1999.

The county, which receives less money from retail taxes, could top the $5 million mark for the first time this year, according to Cape County Auditor H. Weldon Macke. That represents 40 percent of the county's budget, he said.

If the strong economy continues, the sales tax revenue is likely to increase as more out-of-county shoppers travel to Cape County stores.

"I don't have to go any farther than Cape Girardeau to shop," said Susie Chapman of Scott City, another Saturday shopper. "I save gas, I get great service, and I can find whatever I need."

CHA-CHING!

Sales tax revenue is climbing for Cape Girardeau County and the city:

Cape Girardeau County

1998 -- $4.7 million

1999 -- $4.8 million

2000* -- $5.1 million

Constitutes about 40 percent of county budget

Cape Girardeau city

1998 -- $7.3 million

1999 -- $7.4 million

2000* -- $7.7 million

Constitutes about 50 percent of city general fund budget

* Projected