August 2009 wholesale revenues (excluding manufacturers’ sales branches) were $317.9 billion, up 1% from July, but down 17.7% from August 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
August sales of durable goods were up 1.2% from last month, but down 18.8% from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 7.7% from last month and sales of electrical and electronic goods were up 2.5% from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.9% from last month, but were down 16.7% from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 7% from last month.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers were $381.2 billion at the end of August, down 1.3% from July and down 14.7% from a year ago. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were down 1.6% from last month and were down 15.5% from last August. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 4.3% from last month and inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 2.3%.
End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods were down 0.9% from July and were down 13.3% compared to last August. Inventories of paper and paper products were down 2.1% from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists’ sundries were down 1.9%.
The August inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers was 1.20. The August 2008 ratio was 1.16.
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