Looks like this growth trend is real. Taxable sales numbers just released showed tidy gains in goods
sold by merchants across Nevada and Clark County.

Statewide taxable sales came in at $3.15 billion in January, up from $3 billion a year earlier, the State
Department of Taxation reported.

It was the 9th straight month of local gains, and notably, the 2nd consecutive January with growth.

No longer is the sales base increasing year by year merely because numbers are weighed against recession
era lows. Expansion is officially underway.

"These are respectable gains in any environment. They suggest that the market is experiencing increased stability, and consumers are feeling much more comfortable than they did a couple of years ago."

Virtually every major sales category in Clark County saw improvements.

A local retailer said, "we have educated the consumer to be looking for deals now." Discounts seem to be the norm."Canadians make up for 30% of his stores sales, up from 10 percent two years ago. The surge in Canada's dollar against the U.S. dollar is behind this."

From 2002 to 2007, growth in consumer outstripped income gains as shoppers tapped home equity for buying binges. Mortgage backed sales spikes couldn't last.

We are seeing a more conservative growth that is more sustainable.

Revenue from sales and use taxes helps fund prisons and schools and gross revenue collections were up
6% in January.