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ne amount ot Dusiness done by retail stores in the Rappahannock County area rose from $2,198,000 to $3,954,000 in the five-year period, according to the findings. Part of the increase was due, of course, to inflation. The local increase of 80 percent was relatively high. It compares favorably with the gains made at the retail level in many parts of the country. Throughout the United States the rise was 33 percent and, in the South Atlantic States, 41 percent. The growth in retail activity in the local area is attributed to several factors.
A principal one was the marked rise in disposable income per family since 1965, notwithstanding price hikes, bigger taxes and the larger deductions for social security. The Sales Management figures show that total net income in Rappahannock County went from $5,304,000 to $8,326,000, after taxes, in the five years. It was a 57 percent jump.
For the near future in the United States, most economists forecast a slow but steady improvement in the economy, with a return of some of the zip that was lost in the last year or two. The signs are already in evidence. Interest rates have been dropping, consumers have begun to loosen their purse strings, housing starts are up and automobile prospects are favorable.
93.7%