THE RETAILING PICTURE IN THE TRI CITIES FOR THE THIRD QUARTER REMAINED CHAOTIC. FOR THE FIFTH QUARTER IN A ROW, BRISTOL HAS LED IN RETAIL GROWTH WITH DOLLAR SALES GROWING ALMOST NINE PERCENT TO 292 MILLION DOLLARS. JOHNSON CITY SALES WERE UP 6.4 PERCENT, WHILE KINGSPORT SAW SALES DROP 4-PER CENT. EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ECONOMIST DR. STEP HIPPLE SAYS THE NUMBERS SHOW THE LOCAL MARKET IS IN A PERIOD OF TRANSITION……

CART.. HIPPLE1

IN TENNESSEE AS A WHOLE, THE GROWTH IN RETAIL VOLUME IN THE THIRD QUARTER WAS CLOSE TO ZERO.hipple1.mp3