By Stephen H. Dunphy, The Seattle Times Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Apr. 16--Consumer prices in three big areas of spending are increasing in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton area, according to a monthly report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Grocery prices, gasoline and home costs were up in March.
The food-at-home index advanced 0.4 percent in March. Grocery prices were 2.2 percent higher than in March 2003.
Dominated by increasing gasoline prices, the index for energy advanced 3.9 percent in March, and rose 0.4 percent over the year. Gasoline prices were up 6.6 percent in March, but Seattle-area gasoline prices were still 3.7 percent lower than one year ago. The shelter index rose 0.3 percent over the month, and was 0.6 percent above last year's level.
The BLS tracks food, energy and housing each month and does a full consumer-price-index report every other month.
Boat sales in Washington State soared during the first quarter of 2004, according to the Northwest Marine Trade Association, with new-boat sales up 17 percent in units and 25 percent in dollars over the same period in 2003.
King County continued as the top spot for boating sales in Washington, accounting for more than 18 percent of the state's sales during the quarter. Total boats sold (new and used) were up 6percent from the first quarter in 2003.
Boats are selling so well, the association canceled a parking-lot sale scheduled for Factoria Mall during the opening weekend of boating season in early May.
The association began collecting the sales data in July 2002 with the University of Washington Sea Grant program, which uses boat registrations from the Department of Licensing to compile the information.
Hotel-operating results are improving, although this is the slow season for most properties. In January and February, as many as half the hotel rooms in the region were empty on any given night.
Wolfgang Rood Hospitality Consulting found that most areas in the Puget Sound region were up in February compared with February 2003 although the SeaTac area was the exception, reporting lower occupancy.
Downtown Seattle occupancy was up 10.6 percent while Bellevue occupancy increased 2 percent compared with last year. The average daily room rate is showing some signs of improvement, up 2 percent statewide and gaining 3.6 percent in Seattle and 0.5 percent in Bellevue.
The hotel industry has had it tough in the past few years with stagnant occupancy rates and falling average room rentals. The Rood survey is a good one, covering 135 properties in the state representing more than 20,500 rooms.
QUICK HITS: John Rogers, senior vice president and managing director of institutional research for D.A. Davidson, was named one of 10 'Homerun Hitters' by Institutional Investor magazine. Rogers was chosen for his coverage of Portland-based Schnitzer Steel Industries ... China Southern has made it official -- it signed an agreement with Airbus to acquire 15 A320-200 and six A319-100 aircraft from Airbus... Swedish Medical Center's 1101 Madison Tower has won a regional Office Building of the Year award from the Building Owners and Managers Association. Madison Tower was the winner in the medical-office building category for the Pacific Northwest Region. The Seattle property is owned by Swedish Health Services and is managed by Trammell Crow Company.
--Stephen H. Dunphy's columns appear Tuesdays-Fridays and Sundays. Phone: 206-464-2365. Fax: 206-382-8879. E-mail: sdunphy@seattletimes.com.
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(c) 2004, The Seattle Times. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
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