Carrie McCarthy, a division chief at Montgomery County’s Planning Board, described the current retail climate as “stable but softening.”

McCarthy told the Montgomery County Council Economic Development Committee on Thursday that while there are some weak spots, the county’s reputation as a wealthy D.C. area suburb still makes it an attractive location for retail. But, she added, “there’s a lot of uncertainty and chaos out there.”

“Consumers are still spending, but cautiously,” McCarthy said of retail nationally.

She added that in Montgomery County, the retail industry employs over 68,000 people, mostly in food services and grocery stores. There’s about 3,400 retail establishments in the county.

According to McCarthy, residents spend most on food and beverages, entertainment, clothing a

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