EconoIndicators / Wholesale Trade

Wholesale Trade - November 2007

Wholesale Trade At a Glance

Wholesale Sales: $380.4 billion billion
Monthly Change: Up 2.2%
Year-to-year Change: Up 14%
Inventories: $406.2 billion
Monthly Change: Up 0.6%
Inventory Sales Ratio: 1.07

Sales. The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that November 2007 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and
offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $380.4 billion, up 2.2 percent (+/-0.5%)
from the revised October level and were up 14.0 percent (+/-1.3%) from the November 2006 level. The October preliminary estimate was revised
upward $2.4 billion or 0.7 percent. November sales of durable goods were up 0.9 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 6.1 percent
(+/- 2.0%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 3.9 percent and
sales of electrical and electronic goods, were up 3.1 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 3.3 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month and were
up 21.7 percent (+/-2.0%) from last year. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 9.7 percent from last month and sales of petroleum and
petroleum products were up 8.9 percent.
Inventories. Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations
but not for price changes, were $406.2 billion at the end of November, up 0.6 percent (+/-0.3%) from the revised October level and were up 4.3
percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. The October preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.1 billion. End-of-month inventories of durable goods
were up 0.5 percent (+/-0.3%) from last month and were up 0.5 percent (+/-2.1%)* from last November. Inventories of motor vehicle and motor
vehicle parts and supplies were up 2.3 percent from last month, and inventories of professional and commercial equipment and supplies were up 1.4
percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 0.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from October and were up 11.0 percent (+/-3.5%) compared
to last November. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 2.6 percent from last month and inventories of chemicals and allied
products were up 1.7 percent.
Inventories/Sales Ratio. The November inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based
on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.07. The November 2006 ratio was 1.17.
Data in this report are based on a sample and, therefore, are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. A discussion of the reliability of the estimates
and general survey methodology can be found at: .