CLIPBOARD : Fourth-Quarter Retail Sales

Retail sales in Orange County’s cities topped $4.3 billion in 1990’s fourth quarter. But this number, recorded during the heavy-buying holiday season, was a decline from the previous fourth quarter, when the total was $4.4 billion. The cities’ aggregate 2.7% decrease is actually a little larger because Laguna Niguel’s total for the fourth quarter of 1989 was recorded in the unincorporated area whereas the 1990 total, now that Laguna Niguel is a city, added $58.9 million.

Although the overall cities’ total was down, the results from city to city were uneven. Thirteen cities recorded declines compared to 1989’s fourth quarter, led by the 14.3% drop in Mission Viejo. On the plus side, 15 cities rang up increases. The 27.4% jump in San Clemente was the largest among them.

Here’s the city comparison:

Fourth Quarter Fourth Quarter 1990 Retail 1989 Retail Percentage City Sales* Sales* Change Anaheim $385,645 $426,370 -9.6 Brea 140,083 126,943 +10.4 Buena Park 173,634 177,875 -2.4 Costa Mesa 472,344 533,029 -11.4 Cypress 51,500 47,662 +8.1 Dana Point 37,610 34,496 +9.0 Fountain Valley 132,787 115,508 +14.9 Fullerton 245,019 248,845 -1.5 Garden Grove 224,092 239,571 -6.5 Huntington Beach 314,835 350,649 -10.2 Irvine 235,640 243,395 -3.2 Laguna Beach 39,315 38,766 +1.4 Laguna Niguel 58,903 N/A -- La Habra 92,693 90,860 +2.0 La Palma 9,565 8,896 +7.5 Los Alamitos 27,278 26,987 +1.1 Mission Viejo 116,304 135,776 -14.3 Newport Beach 205,717 222,955 -7.7 Orange 313,640 340,362 -7.9 Placentia 45,885 48,777 -5.9 San Clemente 56,140 44,058 +27.4 San Juan Capistrano 62,589 67,553 -7.3 Santa Ana 442,798 458,826 -3.5 Seal Beach 24,749 22,079 +12.1 Stanton 43,495 43,400 +0.2 Tustin 155,143 147,851 +4.9 Villa Park 2,546 2,474 +2.9 Westminster 203,208 195,541 +3.9 Yorba Linda 38,030 30,737 +23.7 CITIES TOTAL $4,351,187 $4,470,241 -2.7

* Amounts listed in thousands of dollars

N/A: Information not available

Source: California State Board of Equalization