Spending in Poplar Bluff shifts north

Shoppers from the Poplar Bluff region pushed Academy Sports + Outdoors into the top 10 sales tax collectors for the city after less than two years of operation.

Academy ranked ninth on the list by the end of 2019, according to information compiled by the city of Poplar Bluff.

The city received just under $11.6 million in 2019 from four separate sales taxes, which support the general fund, capital improvement fund, park department and economic development. The amount was down by approximately $40,000 compared to 2018.

The information was part of an annual audit discussed in August by the city council.

Spending at the city’s top 10 collectors generated almost 52% of the sales tax income.

This was the first year for Academy to make it into the top 10, generating 2.1% of sales tax collections. The retailer opened in July 2017.

Rounding out the top 10 are: Walmart Supercenter, 19.54%; Menards, 7%; Home Depot, 5.03%; Kroger, 4.86%; Walmart Neighborhood Market, 4.68%; 10Box Cost Plus, 2.44%; Gamblin Lumber, 2.38%; Aldi, 2.26%; Academy, 2.1%; and Hefner Furniture, 1.64%.

Four of the top 10 include retailers constructed on the north side of Poplar Bluff within the last six years: Menards, Neighborhood Market, 10Box and Academy.

Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in January 2015. Menards opened in April 2014. 10Box was originally Harps, which opened in 2014. All three previously have been in the top 10 sales tax collectors.

Walmart saw its overall share dip slightly from 24.8% in 2018, to 24.22% in 2019. It held 26.5% of the total in 2017.

Home Depot, 10Box and Gamblin all moved up on the list from the prior year.

The collected tax includes a 1-cent tax for the general fund, which pays for police, fire and street department expenses, as well as others. The one-half cent capital improvement tax funds building and equipment needs for the city. A one-quarter cent tax is collected by the park department, and a one-half cent sales tax supports economic development.

The general fund’s share of tax collections totaled $5.22 million in 2019.