Whatcom County retail sales slow down in first quarter of 2014

Whatcom County retail sales slowed in the first three months of 2014, with a sluggish economy, a weaker Canadian dollar and the weather likely factors.

Overall sales in Whatcom County totaled $754.9 million in the first quarter, down less than 1 percent compared to the same period in 2013, according to a new report from the Washington State Department of Revenue. Retail trade, which focuses on items sold in stores, totaled $364.6 million in the first quarter, down 2.4 percent compared to a year earlier.