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 July 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 $410.6 billion, down 0.3 percent (+/-0.5%)* from the revised June level, but up 16.5 percent (+/-1.0%) from the July 2007 level. The June preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent. July sales of durable goods were up 0.2 percent (+/-0.8%)* from last month and were up 9.4 percent (+/-1.7%) from a year ago. Sales of nondurable goods were down 0.7 percent (+/-0.8%)* from last month, but were up 23.0 percent (+/-1.7%) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 5.9 percent from last month.

Inventories.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $441.3 billion at the end of July, up 1.4 percent (+/-0.3%) from the revised June level and were up 10.6 percent (+/- 1.2%) from a year ago. The June preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 1.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 8.7 percent (+/-1.3%) from last July. Inventories of machinery, equipment, and supplies were up 2.7 percent and inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were up 2.6 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 1.1 percent (+/-0.7%) from June and were up 13.9 percent (+/-2.5%) compared to last July. Inventories of chemicals and allied products were up 6.3 percent from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists sundries were up 6.1 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio.

The July inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.07. The July 2007 ratio was 1.13.


Available at:

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