Retail Sales in April Up Slightly

According to the Nebraska Department of Revenue, retails sales in Valentine were up only slightly in April of this year when compared to 2025.  With the cost of inflation, that increase may be somewhat misleading.  According to the latest state data, the retail sales tax in April was up only 4.8% over the previous year. Net taxable sales for the month were almost 5.6 million dollars.

 Valentine did well when compared to some of our counterparts. Ainsworth saw a decline in revenue of almost 12% and Broken Bow was virtually even with 2025 numbers. O’Neill was up 7% but Atkinson was down 15%. Hooker county was up 20%, Keya Paha County down 6%.  North Platte, Lincoln and Omaha were pretty much even with last year’s numbers.