Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-12-22
Staff Reporter
Only BaltimOre's
Retail Sales Top
County 1854 Total
By Ronald H. NeSsen
Staff Reporter

Retail sales in Montgomery
County were second only tt
: Baltimore City in the State Of
Maryland last year according
to a preliminary report on the
retail trade survey taken by
the Census Bureau. Montgom.
cry County's 1,141 business
establishments racked up g
total of 1927, 100000 in sales
about one-ffth the Baltimore
sales mark and ahead of third
ranked Baltimore County and
fourth-ranked Prince Georges
County.
While the total number of re-
tail establishments in the State
has decreased since the last cen
Sus of business was taken in 1913,
sales have gone up more than
$800,000,000 per year. Similar fig
ures on a County basis will be
issued later.
OF the County's 1,141 business
establishments, 847 have pay
rolls. A total of 1851 employees
were paid $26,2S6,OOO in 1854. AL
most $4,000 employees are CLASH.
fled "fulltime" workers by the
Census Bureau.
The census-takers show 1913 of
the County's establishments as
being in Rockville. The town
businesses counted $18,O93,000 in
sales last year. Employees num-
bering ia 1892 full time) we're
paid about 100000 in Rockville
during 1854.
Grocery stores are the most
numerous type of business in the
County. aLst year 1879 groceries
made sales totaling $62, 311 900.
Although the 146 eating places
In the County make restaurants
the second most numerous type
of business establishment, the 65
automotive establishments (not
gas stations) racked up the sec.
ord highest amount of sales, $43,-
g 1000. -..-. many restaurants
made sales totaling only $10,-
$4,000.
The census figures show the
140 gas stations made sales
amounting to $15,896,O0O; the go
apparel stores made sales
amounting to $11,646,0O0; the 76
lumber, hardware, building ma
terial and farm equipment estab.
lishmentS made sales amounting
to 81, 267 600; the 81 furniture,
home furnishing, and appliance
1calers made sales totaling &c.
$4,000; the 42 general merchan-
disc stores made sales amounting
to $28.065,0 900; and the 80 drug
stores made sales amounting to
$9,153,0O0.
Other types of retail stores
numbering 204 made sales of
$17582,000 last year. The Census
Bureau says there are n mon
store" retailers in the County
whose sales amounted to S10,568,.
600 last year.
In general Rockville has about
one-tenth of the County total in
each category and accounts for
about one-tenth of the total sales
for each category.
Figures released several weeks
ago showed that Montgomery
County's sales of $237, 5O4 900
last year was tops for the six
jurisdictions surrounding Wash.
ington. Montgomery led Prince
Georges, Arlington, and Fairfax
Counties, and the cities of Alex.
andria and Falls Church.
The same statistics revealed
that while Montgomery's sales
had Increased 1919 per cent over
the 1948 total, Falls Church sales
went up 313 per cent, Fairfax
County sales increased ia per
cent, and Prince Georges Coun
ty sales went up 1877 per cent
during the same period.
The Census Bureau reports the
total sales for the District OF
Columbia and the six surround
ing Jurisdictions last year was
50 027115 O00