Cross imbers Business eport
Volume 1, No. 3
Spring, 1987
Gross sales increase slightly in Erath county
The most recent report by the State
Comptroller's office indicates that gross
sales increased only slightly in Erath County
between the third quarter of 1985 and the
same period last year. Cumulative sales for
the first nine months of 1986 were almost
identical to the value established for the
January-September period the previous year.
Sales reported by other area counties failed
to exhibit a definite pattern as one reported
an increase, another indicated a decline, and
two were essentially unchanged.
Erath County reported a gross sales
total of $61.1 rrmillion for the third quarter of
1986. This was 1.8 percent above the figure
for the same three months the previous year.
Businesses in the manufacturing, public
utilities, and service sectors reported sales
increases; construction and retail trade
noted declines, and wholesale trade was
essentially unchanged. The cumulative sales
total for the first nine months of last year
was $174.1 million. This was 0.1 percent
higher than the figure for the same span in
1985.
Bosque county reported a 43.7 percent
gross sales decline as the third quarter
figure fell from $65 million in 1985 to $36.6
million last year. Cumulative sales also staged
a sizeable 32.1 percent drop to $103.6
million for the January-September 1986
span.
Comanche county's gross sales staged
an impressive 34.4 percent advance to total
$41.8 million in the July-September period
of 1986. Sales for the first nine months of
last year totaled $104.4 million. This was
12.7 percent above the tally for the same
span the year before.
GROSS SALES, Area Counties
January - September
$190
180
170 o -
160
150
13 0
120 -
1 10
o -
a .n. <A
e 1984s 195 s
In Eastland county gross sales declined
a slight 0.4 percent to $52 million in the
third quarter of 1986. The county recorded
a strong sales performance in the first
quarter, however, and cumulative sales of
$173 million were 6.5 percent higher than
the 1985 level.
Third quarter, 1986 sales in Hamilton
County of $17.4 million were virtually
identical to those of the previous year. Sales
for the first nine months of the year totaled
$55.8 million. This was 17.0 percent above
the tally for the same span in 1985.
Cross Timbers retail sales
decline during third quarter
Retail sales in the Cross Timbers area
were generally disappointing as four of five
counties reported declines in activity during
the third quarter. Cumulative figures for the
first nine months of the year were only
marginally better as only two counties
reported increases.
Retail sales in Erath County declined a
slight 1.7 percent during the third quarter
of 1986 to $41.3 million. Cumulative sales
for the January-September period totaled
$119.3 million. This was 1.9 percent below
the tally for the same span of 1985.
Bosque County reported a hefty 9.0
percent increase as third quarter sales
reached $13.3 million. A weak performance
in the second quarter partly offset this as the
cumulative sales total of $35.5 million for the
first nine months of 1986 was only 2.0
percent higher than the year before level.
Comanche county continued a weak
retail sales performance in the July-
September period as activity of $14 million
was 7.3 percent below the year before level.
Cumulative sales of $40.4 million for the first
three quarters of last year were 10.2 percent
less than the figure for the previous year.
Retail sales in Eastland County totaled
$24.5 million in the third quarter of 1986.
This was 0.8 percent less than the figure for
the same period the year before. Sales for
the first nine months of last year were $69.4
million, representing a decrease of 9.2
percent from the 1985 evel.
Hamilton county's third quarter retail
sales total of $8.7 million was 6.5 percent
less than the figure for the previous year.
Strong sales performances in 1986's first
two quarters pushed cumulative sales for the
January-September span to $27.4 million,
marking an advance of 9.2 percent over the
year before.
Basque Comanche Eastland Erath Hamilton
S*1986
