EconoIndicators / Wholesale Trade

Wholesale Trade - February 2008

Wholesale Trade At a Glance

Wholesale Sales: $377.4 billion
Monthly Change: Down 0.8%
Year-to-year Change: Up 12.2%
Inventories: $421.9 billion
Monthly Change: Up 1.1%
Inventory Sales Ratio: 1.12

MONTHLY WHOLESALE TRADE: SALES AND INVENTORIES
February 2008
Notice of Revised Wholesale Data: Monthly wholesale sales, inventories, and inventories/sales ratios were revised based on the results of the 2006 Annual Wholesale Trade
Survey. Revised unadjusted and corresponding adjusted data were released on our website on March 27, 2008.
Sales. The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that February 2008 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and
offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations, trading-day differences, and moving holidays, but not for price changes, were $377.4 billion, down
0.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised January level, but were up 12.2 percent (+/-1.2%) from the February 2007 level. The January preliminary
estimate was revised downward $0.9 billion or 0.2 percent. February sales of durable goods were down 1.7 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month, but
were up 3.6 percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of furniture and home furnishings were down 4.6 percent and sales of
metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 4.1 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.1 percent (+/-0.8%)* from last month and were
up 20.5 percent (+/-1.8%) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 2.6 percent from last month, while sales of farm product
raw materials were down 4.4 percent.
Inventories. Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations
but not for price changes, were $421.9 billion at the end of February, up 1.1 percent (+/-0.3%) from the revised January level and were up 7.4 percent
(+/-1.2%) from a year ago. The January preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.0 billion or 0.2 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable
goods were up 0.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 2.5 percent (+/-1.2%) from last February. Inventories of metals and minerals,
except petroleum, were up 2.1 percent from last month and inventories of professional and commercial equipment and supplies were up 1.5 percent.
End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 1.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from January and were up 16.2 percent (+/-2.0%) compared to last
February. Inventories of farm product raw materials were up 5.1 percent from last month and inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were
up 2.6 percent.
Inventories/Sales Ratio. The February inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based
on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.12. The February 2007 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: .