FROM THE RADIO NEWS DEPARTMENT

Retail Sales In The Tri Cities Area Slipped In The Third Quarter Of 2012. That According To The Latest Retail Sales Report Issued By East Tennessee State University. From July To September, Retail Sales Numbers Dropped By 2.2 Percent In Kingsport And By 1.5 Percent In Johnson City. Sales Grew Slight In Bristol By 1.9 Percent. ETSU Economist Dr. Steb Hipple Noted That Retail Sales Had Been Growing As The Region’s Job Market Improved.