Hotel occupancy numbers in Tacoma and Pierce County were lower during 2011 than 2010, but managed to eke out a small increase in southwest Washington, which includes Thurston and Lewis counties, according to the latest Trends in the Hotel Industry Report from Wolfgang Rood Hospitality Consulting.

The occupancy rate in Tacoma and Pierce County fell 6.4 percent (65.6 percent vs. 70.1 percent) year over year. For the month of December, occupancy was off 1.6 percent (46.6 percent vs. 47.4 percent. Year over year occupancy rates in southwest Washington increased slightly (63.2 percent vs. 63 percent). For December, the rate fell 10.6 percent (42.6 percent vs. 51.7 percent).

Thurston County Chamber is hosting Morning MIXXer from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Feb. 7 at Columbian Hall, 6794 Martin Way East, Lacey. The cost is $5 for members and $10 for general admission. Click here for more information.

Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber is hosting Small Business Roundtable from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Feb. 8 at 5000 Bridgeport Way West, University Place. Call Savannah Kimball at (253) 683-4881 for more information.

Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics has named its medical officers and appointed its chiefs of service for 2012. Officers include: Kevin  J. Roscoe M.D., board-certified in radiology, chief of staff; Dean E. Gushee M.D., board-certified in emergency medicine, assistant chief of staff; Albert Michael Keep M.D., board-certified in family medicine, secretary;  and Timothy J. Weber M.D., board-certified in family medicine, past chief of staff. Clinical chief of service department heads include: Anesthesia – Deborah A. Hartley CRNA;  Intensive Care Unit – Mark L. Schlauderaff M.D.;  Emergency Services – Dean E. Gushee M.D.;  Infant and Children's Services – Maria Rowena Carreon Ramirez M.D.;  Laboratory Services – J. Michael Odell M.D.;  Medical/Surgical – Christopher W. Penoyar D.O.;  Nutritional Services – Douglas F. Lindahl D.O.;  Obstetrics – Nkemdilium Nwosa M.D.;  Physical Therapy – Frederick J. Davis M.D.;  Respiratory Therapy – Douglas F. Lindahl D.O.;  Surgery – Eldie L. Cruz M.D.;  and Radiology – Kevin  J. Roscoe M.D.

Public Hospital District No. 1, the governing body of Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics – MGH Ankle & Foot, MGH Eye Clinic, MGH Family Health, MGH Shelton Orthopedics, MGH Surgery Clinic, Mountain View Women's Health Clinic, Oakland Bay Pediatrics and Shelton Family Medicine has elected officers for its 2012 Board of Hospital Commissioners. Nancy Trucksess of Shelton was selected as president. Scott Hilburn of Shelton is secretary and Don Wilson of Potlatch is a trustee.

The Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce's 2011 Business of they Year is Sunbird Shopping Center.

"When you think of an iconic Lewis County business, Sunbird's is what comes to my mind," said 2011 chamber board chair Bob Jackins of Home Depot. "They have meant so much to so many different people, both as employers and retailers. If you live in Lewis County, you've shopped at Sunbird's."

Despite continued economic uncertainty, holiday shoppers bought more this year than last, giving retailers two holiday seasons with year-over-year sales increases in a row.

According to ShopperTrak, national retail sales, when compared to the same period last year, rose 3.5 percent during November and December, while foot traffic decreased 3.1 percent.

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $400.6 billion, an increase of 0.1 percent compared to the previous month and 6.5 percent higher than December 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Total sales for the 12 months of 2011 were up 7.7 percent compared to 2010. Total sales for the October through December 2011 period were up 7 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. The October to November 2011 percent change was revised from 0.2 percent to 0.4 percent higher.

Hotel occupancy rates were down throughout the South Sound during November compared to a year earlier, according to the latest Trends in the Hotel Industry Report from Wolfgang Rood Hospitality Consulting.

Occupancy rates in Tacoma and Pierce County fell from 63.3 percent to 48.3 percent. Year to date the rate was off 6.7 percent, falling from 71.9 percent to 67.1 percent. For Southwest Washington, which includes Thurston and Lewis Counties, rates fell from 59.9 percent to 54 percent. Year to date, however, the occupancy rate ticked up from 64.1 percent to 64.8 percent.

Choripan by Asado will open Jan. 11 as the new café at the Museum of Glass.

The eatery is operated by X Group Restaurants and Catering, owner of Tacoma restaurants Asado, Masa and Engine House No. 9.  X Group also will become the exclusive caterer for all special and private events hosted at the museum.

Centralia Outlets will welcome Chico's Outlet to its mix of retailers during March.

Chico's is a women's specialty retailer of private branded, casual-to-dressy clothing, accessories and other non-clothing gift items. The retailer currently operates 590 boutiques and 79 outlet stores.

Seasonal hiring in retail nearly returned to pre-recession levels in 2011, as employment in the sector experienced a net gain of 718,500 during the final three months of 2011, according to an analysis of employment data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That marks a 14.5 percent improvement over the 627,500 seasonal jobs added during 2010 and falls just shy of the 720,800 added in 2007, when the economy still relatively strong.

Taxable retail sales increased statewide 3.2 percent to $27.3 billion during the third quarter of 2011 compared to year-earlier results, according to the Department of Revenue. Retail trade, a subset of all sales that counts only retail store sales and excludes other sectors such as construction and services, was up 2.4 percent to $12.2 billion.

Taxable retail sales fell 3.3 percent in Pierce County to $2.7 billion and were off 5.1 percent in Thurston County to $952 million. In Lewis County, taxable retail sales rose 9.4 percent to $276 million. Taxable retail sales in Mason County were up 0.2 percent to $135 million.

Under Armour Factory House Store is scheduled to join the retail mix at Centralia Outlets on Feb. 16. The store will be next to the mall's Information Center and across the street from the Coach Factory store. Under Armour develops, markets and distributes performance apparel, footwear and accessories.

Centralia Outlets has more than 30 tenants. Three stores, Christopher and Banks, The Children's Place and Wilsons Leather, opened during 2011.

Retailers got a last minute holiday gift this year. Late holiday shoppers — both in the week leading up to Christmas and on the day after — boosted sales and made clear this year's holiday season will likely outpace the same period last year.

According to ShopperTrak — the world's largest provider of retail and mall foot-traffic counting services — consumers spent about $44 billion during the week ending Dec. 24, a 37.8 percent increase compared to the previous week and a 14.8 percent gain over the same week last year. Foot traffic also was high, increasing 32.4 percent from the previous week.

Marriott International Inc.  is scheduled to open a 120-room Fairfield Inn & Suites in Puyallup on Dec. 30.  The franchise hotel, which is owned and managed by Hollander Investments of Bellingham, is at 202 15th Ave. SW. 
 
Amenities include an indoor swimming pool with whirlpool spa, exercise room, valet laundry service, free high-speed Internet and business center.  The hotel also offers 795 square feet of meeting space to accommodate small meetings and functions of up to 50 people.

Holiday shoppers continued to make the retail cash registers ring last week, boosting sales 21.7 percent over the previous week and 1.3 percent over the same week last year.

According to ShopperTrak, sales increases during the week ending Dec. 17 made this December on pace to have higher retail sales than last year. Month-to-date figures are up 0.5 percent compared to December 2010.

Third quarter 2011 after-tax profits of U.S. retail corporations with assets of $50 million and more totaled $15.3 billion, down $1.9 billion compared to the after-tax profits of $17.3 billion recorded in the second quarter of 2011, but up $2 billion from  $13.4 billion recorded in the third quarter of 2010.

Sales in the third quarter of 2011, at $568.7 billion, were down $7.2 billion from the $575.9 billion recorded in the second quarter of 2011, but up $42.4 billion from the $526.3 billion recorded in the third quarter of 2010.

December holiday sales remain flat year-over-year, but are showing signs of growth to come. Double-digit increases in week-over-week sales show shoppers are spending this holiday season.

According to ShopperTrak—the world's largest provider of retail and mall foot-traffic counting services—the week ending Dec. 10 saw a 10.6 percent increase in retail sales from the previous week. This bodes well as retailers prepare for the next two weeks of holiday shoppers – historically two of the highest GAFO sales weeks of the year for retailers.

About three-quarters (76 percent) of all purchases still occur at bricks and mortar stores, according to "Understanding the Multi-Channel Shopper," a survey-based study by the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Verde Group.

While the Web, catalogs and mobile phones generate just 22 percent, 1.4 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively, of all purchases, these channels are important in the shopping process, for example to browse for items and research prices.

Last week, retailers got to restock their shelves and recover from the busy Black Friday shopping weekend. Sales increased just 0.2 percent year-over-year for the week ending in Dec. 3, representing a 22.5 percent decline from the prior week, which held the largest Black Friday in history — both in terms of sales and traffic.

According to ShopperTrak — the world's largest provider of retail and mall foot-traffic counting services — this sharp decline in retail sales is typical of the week following Thanksgiving. Although shoppers have an initial burst of activity spurred on by Black Friday sales promotions, they often stay home during the following week.

At 8 a.m. Saturday, Safeway Inc. will open the doors of its new 63,700-square-foot lifestyle store in Gig Harbor.

The replacement store includes a large service meat and seafood department, fresh bakery, island deli with service sandwiches and sushi, expanded produce department, a pharmacy with private immunization and consultation rooms and a Starbucks.