Wayne, Pennsylvania-based buying group AD announced this week that, on a same-store basis, member sales across all AD’s divisions and countries in 2020 were down 3% to $45.1 billion. Despite the difficult selling environment, AD said it achieved a 1% increase in net distributions to its members during the year.

By business unit, annual plumbing, heating, cooling and piping same store sales were flat; electrical sales were down 5%; building materials sales were up 4%; and industrial and safety sales were down 7%.

The buying group also reported that group purchases from AD suppliers were down 1% in the year to $12 billion.

By country, same-store sales of members in the U.S. were down 3%, Canada same-store member sales decreased by 2% and Mexico same-store sales decreased by 15%.

“When we look at member purchases from AD suppliers being down only 1% from 2019, we see the powerful effects of the partnership we help facilitate,” said Bill Weisberg, AD’s chairman and CEO. “In addition, several months in Q4 were all-time records for the group. In spite of 2021 still being a pandemic operating environment, AD is already seeing solid growth over 2020 and 2019 levels.”