Wholesale Trade Rises 1.8% in March

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that March 2017 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 $346.3 billion, up 1.8% from the revised February level and were up 8.4% from the March 2016 level. The February preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.6 billion or 0.2%.


 
The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce.
Sales
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that March 2017 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 $346.3 billion, up 1.8% (+/-0.5%) from the revised February level and were up 8.4 percent (+/-1.3%) from the March 2016 level. The February preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.6 billion or 0.2 percent.
March sales of durable goods were up 2.1 percent (+/-1.0%) from last month and were up 6.6 percent (+/-2.0%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and supplies were up 6.1 percent and sales of lumber and other construction materials increased 5.9 percent. March sales of nondurable goods were up 1.5 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month and were up 10.1 percent (+/-2.0%) from last year. Compared to last month, sales of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages increased 3.0 percent.
Inventories
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $393.2 billion at the end of March, up 0.3 percent (+/-0.3%)* from last month and were up 8.1 percent (+/-1.7%) from a year ago. The February preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.4 billion or 0.1 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were virtually unchanged (+/- 0.3%)* from last month, but were up 7.6 percent (+/-2.3%) from last March. Inventories of furniture and home furnishings increased 2.1 percent from last month, while inventories of machinery, equipment, and supplies decreased 1.3 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 0.8 percent (+/-0.7%) from February and were up 9.0 percent (+/-3.5%) compared to last March. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 3.1 percent from last month and inventories of grocery and related products were up 1.8 percent.
Inventories/Sales Ratio
The March inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.14. The March 2016 ratio was 1.14.
Available at:
http://www.census.gov/mwts/www/currentwhl.html