Wholesale Inventory Figures Stagnant in October

Washington, DC, December 10, 2015—October 2015 sales of merchant wholesalers were $448.0 billion, virtually unchanged from the revised September level, but were down 3.7% from the October 2014 level, the U.S. Census Bureau has announced.

October sales of durable goods were down 0.8% from last month and were down 2.2% from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 2.6% from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.7% from September, but were down 5.1% from last October. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 2.9% from last month and sales of paper and paper products were up 1.5%.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers were $585.9 billion at the end of October, down 0.1% from the revised September level, but were up 3.6% from the October 2014 level.