Indian River Consulting Group's weekly Distributor Pandemic Revenue Index (PRI) indicates that business conditions for distributors continue to marginally increase, hovering right around the breakeven mark since late July.
The latest PRI shows a reading of +1.1 percent for the week of Aug. 17-21, meaning that for the 12 distributors surveyed, their average sales for that week were up 1.1 percent year-over-year. It follows readings of +0.5, -0.7 and -1.3 the previous three weeks, respectively — far better than the negative mid-single digits the PRI recorded throughout most of June and July; negative teens throughout most of April and May.
"Sales have continued to display strength in August beyond the normal month-ending uptick we observed to close out July," IRCG partner Mike Emerson commented.
Emerson added that for the first time in five weeks, sales gains and losses in the PRI were not evenly split among its participants. Only five of the latest index's distributors saw a year-over-year sales gain for the week of Aug. 17-21, with those gains ranging from 1.0 to 28.9 percent, while decreases for the other seven ranged from 4.0 to 16.4 percent. Emerson noted that that high end (the worst) of that decrease range was under 20 percent for just the second time in the last 23 weeks.
IRCG would like to increase the sample size for the PRI, so if you would like to include your company, reach out to Emerson, at [email protected].
