Sales Decline for 3rd Consecutive Quarter

Orange County’s recession-strapped consumers continued pinching pennies during the first quarter, and the county’s retailers felt it with a $240-million drop in revenue.

Retail sales in the county during the January-March period plunged 5.9% to $3.86 billion from the $4.1 billion reported in the first three months of 1990, according to data compiled by the State Board of Equalization. It was the third consecutive quarter of declining taxable sales in the county.

Statewide, taxable retail transactions dropped from year-earlier levels for the first time since 1982, falling 4.5% to $40.1 billion from $41.97 billion in the first quarter of 1990. Of Orange County’s 29 cities, all but six reported retail sales declines for the quarter.

CITY-BY-CITY BREAKDOWN

1991 First 1990 First % City Quarter Quarter Change Anaheim 355,234 371,097 -4.3 Brea 99,672 88,548 +12.6 Buena Park 130,294 149,923 -13.1 Costa Mesa 352,571 393,873 -10.5 Cypress 42,631 40,808 +4.5 Dana Point 33,172 32,857 +1.0 Fountain Valley 120,412 123,115 -2.2 Fullerton 208,738 223,715 -6.7 Garden Grove 191,319 210,236 -9.0 Huntington Beach 265,378 301,693 -12.0 Irvine 230,725 234,949 -1.8 Laguna Beach 36,762 37,276 -1.4 Laguna Niguel 49,640 36,237 +37.0 La Habra 73,181 77,520 -5.6 La Palma 8,493 9,658 -12.1 Los Alamitos 24,833 25,715 -3.4 Mission Viejo 93,480 102,070 -8.4 Newport Beach 160,438 178,671 -10.2 Orange 256,419 286,642 -10.5 Placentia 40,013 43,436 -7.9 San Clemente 39,680 40,830 -2.8 San Juan Capistrano 55,763 63,708 -12.5 Santa Ana 359,743 368,749 -2.4 Seal Beach 23,273 21,991 +5.8 Stanton 38,481 40,668 -5.4 Tustin 141,448 144,948 -2.4 Villa Park 3,134 3,255 -3.7 Westminster 152,902 160,261 -4.6 Yorba Linda 34,478 30,494 +13.1

Source: State Board of Equalization

Countywide Retail Sales For the third consecutive quarter, retail sales declined from their year-earlier levels in the first quarter of 1991. Year to year % change -5.9%

Gains and Declines 1990-91 % change While 23 of 29 cities reporting showed year-to-year declines in retail sales,there were three cities with increases of more than 10%