• Breaking a three year negative streak, respondents turned higher net profit before taxes for single, multi and total respondent categories.  
• Overall store margins had a solid increase, reporting 26.94 percent in 2008 versus 25.55 percent in 2007. 
• The average square footage decreased from last year's respondents from 28,617 to 25,469 the total inventory in the store increased to $658,454 bringing the total inventory per square foot to an even $13.00. This is a $3.35 increase per square foot with this year's respondents. Of the total square footage in respondent's stores 84.4 percent of the space is actually selling square footage, up dramatically from last year's 76.5 percent.

The survey looks at a number of different topics including the "Top 7" issues rated by N.G.A. Members and they are: Health Care Reform; Energy Costs; Economic Stimulus Plan; Supercenter Legislation; (Permanent Repeal) Death Tax; Immigration Reform; and International Policies.  Health Care Reform has been one of the biggest issues to retailers over the past decade and also one of the biggest issues for the Obama Administration.  Healthcare costs saw an average increase of 7.98 percent in 2008, they had expected an 8.36 percent increase based on last years survey.  The survey also showed that:

• Overall respondents are expecting an 11.18 percent increase this year. 
• Respondents overwhelming, 85.3 percent, said that the current administration will implement change that will negatively affect the employer's bottom line.
• That this year's respondents reported an average cost of health care of $6,581.23 per employee.