The recession has taken a toll on retail sales in Maine. The State Planning Office says retail sales this August were 6 percent lower than they were last August, and 8.6 percent lower at this point in the year than they were at the same time last year. An increase in auto sales this August, likely spurred by the federal Cash for Clunkers program, was not enough to offset the drop.
Taxable retail sales this August totaled just over $1.61 billion, down from more than $1.71 billion last year. The decline was led by sales of building supplies, which were more than 18 percent lower than they were last August. Lodging sales were also hard hit, falling 9.2 percent.
While auto and transportation sales were 8.1 percent higher this August than last, sales are down for the year by 10.1 percent. The only category to show an increase was food store sales, which were 6.7 percent higher than they were last August, and are 2.2 percent higher year-to-date compared with the same period last year.