Steady rainfall at Greer City Hall made Tuesday evening a dismal night for a meeting, but news about the city’s gross retail sales for Fiscal Year 2014 was the equivalent of a sunbeam for Greer City Council.
Reno Deaton, executive director of the Greer Development Corporation, and Mark Owens, president and CEO of the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce, reported that the city businesses earned $843,576,165 in gross retail sales – a record for the fourth consecutive year and an increase of more than 13% compared to Fiscal Year 2013.
The total is a 57% increase compared to the pre-recession high in 2008.
“We’re obviously thrilled because these figures directly reflect what consumers and retailers already know: the City of Greer is a great place to do business,” City Administrator Ed Driggers said. “The Highway 29 corridor continues to attract exciting new businesses with easy access to consumers. Greer Station, our central business district, has been a crucial part of the city’s post-recession recovery and is a destination for shoppers and diners from across the Upstate.”
The gross retail sales figure includes $541,173,047 in sales in the portion of the City of Greer located in Greenville County and $302,403,118 in the portion located in Spartanburg County.
“These gross retail sales figures are a great indicator of the overall business climate in the greater Greer area. We are proud to be a part of such a vibrant community that fosters economic growth,” Owens said.