[Source: Jahna Berry, Arizona Republic] — Most downtown Phoenix shops face tough times: they are weathering the usual summer slowdown with fewer tourists and are worried about the bleak economy. But there appear to be a few bright spots, a downtown business group says. City sales tax from downtown restaurants rose 4.1% from April to June compared to the same period in 2007, according to quarterly sales tax figures from the city. Citywide, restaurants were down 4.7%. Downtown hotels’ sales tax was up 5.6% during that three-month span, but were down 5.5% in the city as a whole, the figures show.
All of that is good news, said David Roderique, president and CEO of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership. “Even a flat or minimal increase is great,” given the downturn, he said. [Note: To read the full blog entry, click here.]
Downtown Voices Coalition 