Fastenal — No. 10 on Industrial Distribution's 2016 Big 50 List — reported its November sales results on Tuesday, led by a slight increase in daily sales year-over-year.
The company's total sales of $316.8 million increased 6.3 percent from a year earlier. November 2016 had one more selling day than in 2015, resulting in daily sales of $15.1 million this past month — up 1.2 percent year-over-year.
November marked the ninth month in 2016 that Fastenal posted daily sales growth. The company closed 2015 with daily sales declines in October, November and December, but hasn't had a declining month in 2016. March and June 2016 were flat. Daily sales increased in eight months of 2015. October's daily sales growth of 3.9 percent was its best of the year so far.
Here's how the past 14 months of Fastenal's daily sales growth has been:
- November 2016: +1.2 percent
- October 2016: +3.9 percent
- September 2016: +2.8 percent
- August 2016: +0.3 percent
- July 2016: +2.1 percent
- June 2016: 0.0 percent
- May 2016: +1.1 percent
- April 2016: +3.8 percent
- March 2016: 0.0 percent
- February 2016: +2.6 percent
- January 2016: +3.3 percent
- December 2015: -3.8 percent
- November 2015: -1.1 percent
- October 2015: -0.8 percent
Fastenal's November daily sales to manufacturing customers grew by 1.3 percent year-over-year, while sales to non-residential construction customers declined by 1.0 percent. Those figures compare with declines of 1.6 percent and 5.1 percent, respectively, in November 2015.
Fastenal's November daily sales of fasteners declined by 4.2 percent year-over-year, while other sales grew by 4.2 percent. Those figures compare with November 2015's decline of 4.1 percent for Fasteners and 1.2 percent growth in other sales.
Fastenal didn't open or close any store in November, with its total store count holding steady at 2,548. the company has opened 38 new stores year-to-date.
Total company headcount of 19,797 was down 67 from October, and down 4.7 percent year-over-year. Selling personnel was down 4.0 percent from a year ago, while manufacturing personnel was down 9.6 percent.
