The Myrtle Beach metropolitan area led the state in growth of retail sales and residential building permits between October 2012 and October 2013, according to statistics released Monday by the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. The data showed that retail sales grew by 6.3% during the year and residential building permits were up by 78.1%, more than double the second place South Carolina area, Spartanburg. The Myrtle Beach area also ranked second in the state in employment growth.