Retail Data

Retail sales are an important economic indicator for a region. Retail sales provide a measure of consumer spending, which in turn can indicate whether a local economy is expanding or contracting. Retail trade is a growing sector of the Bloomington-Normal economy, and the data indicate a positive outlook for future economic growth.

Bloomington-Normal’s retail sales increased by almost 53 percent between 1989 and 1997 as compared to the statewide average of about 37 percent. The region has also experienced recent growth in retail trade that compares favorably to other metro areas of similar size, and growth in retail sales is expected to continue for the next several years.

With a projected change in retail sales of 27.3 percent between 2002 and 2007, Bloomington-Normal's projected retail sales growth is among the highest in the state and larger than that of its Central Illinois neighbors, including Champaign-Urbana, Peoria, Decatur and Springfield. This section highlights retail sales activity for Bloomington-Normal and McLean County.