Wholesalers / Distributors: Statistics

Sales: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, March 2009 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 $310.9 billion, down 2.4 percent (+/-0.7%) from the revised February level and were down 18.1 percent (+/-1.2%) from the March 2008 level. The February preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.2 billion or 0.4 percent. March sales of durable goods were down 3.3 percent (+/-1.2%) from last month and were down 19.6 percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. Sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 10.6 percent from last month and sales of electrical and electronic goods were down 5.9 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were down 1.6 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month and were down 16.9 percent (+/-1.6%) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 5.1 percent from last month and sales of chemicals and allied products were down 5.0 percent.

Inventories: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $411.7 billion at the end of March, down 1.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised February level and were down 3.5 percent (+/-0.7%) from a year ago. The February preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.8 billion or 0.2 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were down 2.4 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were down 2.4 percent (+/-0.9%) from last March. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 7.0 percent from last month and inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 5.0 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods decreased 0.3 percent (+/-0.7%)* from February and were down 5.2 percent (+/-1.6%) compared to last March. Inventories of chemicals and allied products were down 6.0 percent from last month, while inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 7.9 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio: The U.S. Census Bureau indicates that the March inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.32. The March 2008 ratio was 1.12.