The U.S. Census Bureau announced the following new wholesale trade statistics for October 2021:
Sales
October 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 $620.5 billion, up 2.2 percent (±0.4 percent) from the revised September level and were up 22.2 percent (±1.8 percent) from the revised October 2020 level. The August 2021 to September 2021 percent change was revised from the preliminary estimate of up 1.1 percent (±0.5 percent) to up 1.7 percent (±0.5 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 $759.4 billion at the end of October, up 2.3 percent (±0.4 percent) from the revised September level. Total inventories were up 14.4 percent (±1.4 percent) from the revised October 2020 level. The September 2021 to October 2021 percent change was revised from the advance estimate of up 2.2 percent (±0.4 percent) to up 2.3 percent (±0.4 percent).
Inventories/Sales Ratio
The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.22. The October 2020 ratio was 1.31.
