Business Monday: Aspen retailers rock in October

Sharp increases in both taxable retail and lodging sales highlighted an October in Aspen that behaved less like an offseason month and more like an active one.

In its monthly consumption report issued last week, the city of Aspen’s finance department reported taxable sales in October topped the same months in 2020 by 41.8% and 2019 by 74.8%.

“October, while typically a shoulder season period for businesses to dial back and prepare for the pending ski season, saw high consumer spending despite inflationary price pressures and appears to still be fueled by pent-up COVID driven demand,” said Anthony Lewin, the city’s senior tax auditor, in comments accompanying the report released Wednesday.

Retailers in October alone combined to generate $67.3 million in taxable sales, with the industry performances broken down as follows:

— Accommodations, $15.6 million in October sales, up 155.3% over October 2020 and 109.9% over October 2019