Retail Sales In The Tri-Cities Showed An Improvement During The First Quarter. According To Dr. Steb Hipple With East Tennessee State University’s College Of Business, Kingsport Posted Sales Of 326 Million For The Quarter, While Johnson City Was At 426 Million, And Bristol…228 Million. By The Way, Bristol Was The Only City To See A Decline In Sales Compared To A Year Ago. Dr. Hipple Says The Retail Outlook Is Tied To The Economic Recovery And The Country Is Just Not Quite Yet Out Of The Great Recession.