The US Census Bureau announced today that August 2015 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 $445.4 billion, down 1.0 percent (+/-0.7 percent) from the revised July level and were down 4.7 percent (+/-1.6 percent) from the August 2014 level. The July preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent.
August sales of durable goods were down 1.2 percent (+/-0.7 percent) from last month and were down 1.9 percent (+/-1.9 percent) from a year ago. Sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were down 5.1 percent from last month and sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 2.7 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were down 0.7 percent (+/-0.7 percent) from July and were down 7.2 percent (+/-2.1 percent) from last August. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 4.6 percent from last month and sales of farm product raw materials were down 3.1 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $583.9 billion at the end of August, up 0.1 percent (+/-0.2 percent) from the revised July level and were up 4.1 percent(+/-1.6 percent) from the August 2014 level. The July preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.9 billion or 0.1percent.
August inventories of durable goods were up 0.3 percent (+/-0.4 percent) from last month and were up 4.2 percent (+/-2.1 percent) from a year ago. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 1.9 percent from last month, while inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 1.7 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were down 0.2 percent (+/-0.4 percent) from July, but were up 4.0 percent (+/-1.8 percent) from last August. Inventories of farm product raw materials were down 3.1 percent from last month, while inventories of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages were up 1.1 percent.
The August inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.31. The August 2014 ratio was 1.20.