For the first time in history, Branson’s gross retail sales value for a 12 month rolling period exceeded $1 billion. The data for the 12 month rolling period of retail sales value from Nov. 2006 to Nov. 2007 was released on Feb. 15. It showed that the total retail sales value for the period was $1,133,681,350. This was up from $920,136,098, or about 9 percent, for the same period in 2006.
The data in the Feb. 15 report indicates that the sales tax receipts from the city’s 1 percent Sales Tax for Branson Landing went up from $93,729 in 2006 to $115,704 for the same period in 2007 or about 23 percent. The report further shows that the sales tax receipts for Branson Hills went up from $33,697 in 2006 to $54,195 for the same period in 2007 or about 61percent.
The sales tax receipts for the rest of Branson, all other retail activity except Branson Landing and Branson Hills, went up from $949,161 in 2006 to $963,782 for the same period in 2007 or about 2 percent. Although the 2 percent increase is not as large as the p8ercentage of increase within Branson Landing and Branson Hills it is certainly a lot better than the decrease that was originally forecasted for existing retail located outside of Branson Landing for its first two years of operation during its early planning stages.
The increased revenues from Branson Hills and Branson Landing are consistent with the economic outlook portion of the independent audit report of the audit conducted on the city of Branson for the fiscal year ending Sep. 30, 2007, by the Kansas City firm of Cochran Head Vick & Co., PC. It said that revenues have expanded at an unprecedented pace, surpassing the rapid increases experienced in the 1990’s” and that all this activity has been spurred by the development of the Branson Landing and Branson Hills projects.
Furnished Courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent.
