Lafayette Parish continues record retail sales hot sales streak

Long lines form in front of businesses in the early hours of Friday to get some of the best deals of the year Friday, Nov. 27, 2020.

Lafayette Parish recorded $619.9 million in taxable retail sales in May, giving the parish three consecutive months with more than $600 million in sales for the first time on record, according to data from the Lafayette Economic Development Authority.

May was the fifth-best month for retail sales in the parish’s history, according to LEDA. May’s sales were up 26.6% from $489.8 million in May 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic and health-related restrictions were at their peak.

“Our community continues a healthy rebound from 2020. This is the first time we’ve had sales over $600 million for three consecutive months,” said Gregg Gothreaux, president and chief executive of LEDA. “LEDA’s forecast through May shows the potential for another record-breaking year with projected taxable sales between $6.8 and $7.3 billion.”