The City of Greer’s gross retail sales figure for Fiscal Year 2015 was notable not only because it marked a record for the fifth consecutive year, but also because it was the city’s first year surpassing the billion dollar mark.
Reno Deaton, executive director of the Greer Development Corporation, made the announcement at the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Luncheon that city businesses earned $1,034,016,761 in gross retail sales – an increase of 23% over Fiscal Year 2014.
The total is nearly a 93% increase over the pre-recession high in 2008.
“Congratulations to the businesses of the City of Greer. They have made Greer a retail destination, and they have developed a winning strategy to support Greer’s growing population. With great customer service, an attractive product mix, continued high traffic counts, and the support of a robust and growing community, Greer will continue to see consistent retail growth,” Deaton said.
Mark Owens, president and CEO of the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce, said the six-year gross retail sales figures show that the City of Greer has lead the Upstate out of the recession.
“Not many communities have both residential and commercial growth at the same time, but we’re very fortunate to have that in Greer. As residents find the City of Greer a great place to live, more businesses are wanting to locate near those neighborhoods,” Owens said. “Retail sales are a great figure for the pulse of our economy. It reflects both the growth and vibrancy we have in the community. I think it’s a huge justification of the time and commitment that goes into economic development – not only recruiting new businesses but also helping those that are already here grow.”
City Administrator Ed Driggers said he is very encouraged by the trending figures.
“We monitor our retail sales closely to determine if there are any possible issues which we may need to be aware of. What we are seeing is a positive upward trend. It is a combination of new businesses opening and existing businesses seeing an increase in overall sales,” Driggers said. “An overall positive economy, a growing community with higher disposable incomes, more shopping opportunities, flexible shopping hours – all of these provide the right climate for economic success.
“The City of Greer is a great place to do business and businesses do well here. We work very hard to make the process of opening a business as easy as possible. That, combined with a low tax rate, is attractive to new businesses and existing businesses alike.”
City of Greer Gross Retail Sales
FY 2015 $1,034,016,761
FY 2014 $ 843,576,165
FY 2013 $ 742,090,943
FY 2012 $ 684,430,596
FY 2011 $ 604,288,690
FY 2010 $ 452,268,000
Fiscal Year 2015 numbers are in and gross retail sales within the City of Greer topped $1 billion! #GoGreer pic.twitter.com/XGWC8FtWst
— Greer Development (@developgreer) October 2, 2015