Business down in May<\/p>\n
Business during the offseason month of May was down 5.9% for Aspen retailers compared with May 2018, according to the city\u2019s monthly sales tax consumption report issued last week.<\/p>\n
Retail sales in May were $25.5 million, pushing the total for the first five months of the year to $331.3 million, a 6.9% improvement over January-through-May of 2018, the report said.<\/p>\n
Industries experiencing at least 15% declines in May were accommodations ($3.5 million, down 18.7%), sports equipment and clothing ($885,290, down 16.7%), liquor ($369,964, down 21%), utilities ($2.3 million, down 21.6%) and marijuana ($359,214, down 23%).<\/p>\n
May accounts for roughly 3.4% of the year\u2019s total sales tax collections, according to the report.<\/p>\n
Other than the utilities segment, Aspen\u2019s 11 other industries included in the report posted revenue gains for the first five months of the year over the same period in 2018.<\/p>\n
Aspen Expeditions expands<\/p>\n
Aspen Expeditions Worldwide recently announced its acquisition of Kling Mountain Guides, a mountain guide services in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith extensive permits in the Durango and Silverton areas, including the famed Weminuche Wilderness, we are thrilled to bring this experience and diversity into the AEW fold,\u201d Aspen Expeditions said.<\/p>\n
Aspen Expeditions is located at the base of Aspen Highlands.<\/p>\n
Housing authority picks IT firm for automation project<\/p>\n