The Great Recession had a greater impact on retail sales than the 2001 recession, and the recovery period was longer. For example, inflation-adjusted taxable retail sales in the Wichita MSA fell 5.13 percent in 2009, the year the Great Recession ended. But, inflation-adjusted taxable retail sales gained 0.34 percent in 2002, the year following the 2001 recession.
More analysis of the retail sales industry in the Wichita MSA is available in a new report released by The Center for Economic Development and Business Research.