The U.S. Census Bureau announced the following new wholesale trade statistics for July 2021:
Sales
July 2021 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 $601.3 billion, up 2.0 percent (±0.4 percent) from the revised June level and were up 23.7 percent (±1.6 percent) from the revised July 2020 level. The May 2021 to June 2021 percent change was revised from the preliminary estimate of up 2.0 percent (±0.4 percent) to up 2.3 percent (±0.4 percent).
Inventories
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading day differences, but not for price changes, were $722.4 billion at the end of July, up 0.6 percent (±0.4 percent) from the revised June level. Total inventories were up 11.5 percent (±1.4 percent) from the revised July 2020 level. The June 2021 to July 2021 percent change was unrevised from the advance estimate of up 0.6 percent (±0.4 percent).
Inventories/Sales Ratio
The July inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.20. The July 2020 ratio was 1.33.
