October 2008 sales of merchant wholesalers were $377.4 billion, down 4.1 percent from the revised September level, but up 2.7 percent from the October 2007 level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The September preliminary estimate was revised downward $2.4 billion or 0.6 percent. October sales of durable goods were down 4.2 percent from last month and were down 1.6 percent from a year ago. Sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum were down 5.2 percent from last month and sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 4.5 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were down 4.1 percent from last month, but were up 6.5 percent from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 11.2 percent from last month and sales of farm product raw materials were down 6.1 percent.
 
Inventories. Total inventories of merchant wholesalers were $438.2 billion at the end of October, down 1.1 percent from the revised September level, but were up 8.0 percent from a year ago. The September preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.3 billion or 0.3 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were down 0.2 percent from last month, but were up 10.0 percent from last October. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods decreased 2.6 percent from September, but were up 4.8 percent compared to last October.
Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 18.2 percent from last month and inventories of farm product raw materials were down 8.5 percent.
 
Inventory-Sales Ratio. The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.16. The October 2007 ratio was 1.10.

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