Some shoppers take an autumn-day stroll last month along the Cooper Avenue outdoor mall in Aspen. Retailers produced more than $1 billion in overall sales through September, according to a tax report the city issued last week. Year-to-date sales of more than $1 billion through September marked the first time Aspen’s retail economy topped the 10-figure milestone, based on a monthly tax report the city issued last week and financial data from previous years.
For those keeping score down to the dollar, $1,008,435,564 was the collective amount generated by the Aspen business sectors that collected sales taxes — from mom-and-pop boutiques to five-star hotels— from January through September. The record amount for year-to-date September was 7% higher than the $942,464,351 in taxable sales recorded through the first nine months of 2023, according to the report. Last year through September was on par with the $939,343,979 produced through the first nine months of 2022, when COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions were loosened or lifted entirely.
The figures are not adjusted for inflation. Other years posted the following January-through-September sales figures: • 2021 — $756,841,909 • 2020 — $584,415,883 • 2019 — $628,566,661 • 2018 — $587,601,669 • 2017 — $560,847,188 • 2016 — $545,952,501 • 2015 — $509,319,562 This year’s sales through September translated to $24.07 million in tax revenue for the city and a 7% bump over $22.
47 million in city coll.