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 May 2008 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 $397.4 billion, up 1.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised April level and were up 13.7 percent (+/-1.2%) from the May 2007 level. The April preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent. May sales of durable goods were down 0.2 percent (+/-0.8%)* from last month, but were up 7.6 percent (+/-1.7%) from a year ago.

Compared to last month, furniture and home furnishings were down 4.0 percent, while sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum were up 2.9 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 3.2 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 19.2 percent (+/-1.7%) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 7.5 percent from last month and sales of apparel, piece goods, and notions were up 5.2 percent.

Inventories.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $431.0 billion at the end of May, up 0.8 percent (+/-0.3%) from the revised April level and were up 8.7 percent (+/- 1.2%) from a year ago. The April preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.2 billion. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 0.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 5.6 percent (+/-1.2%) from last May.

Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and supplies, were up 3.5 percent from last month and inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum were up 2.7 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 0.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from April and were up 14.2 percent (+/-2.0%) compared to last May. Inventories of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages, were up 3.0 percent from last month and inventories of Drugs and druggists'' sundries were up 1.2 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio.

The May inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.08. The May 2007 ratio was 1.13.


Available at:

http://www2.census.gov/wholesale/pdf/mwts/currentwhl.pdf