Wholesale Inventories Fell 0.7% in October

Washington, DC, December 6, 2019-October 2019 sales of merchant wholesalers were $494.3 billion, down 0.7% from the revised September level and were down 1.4% from the October 2018 level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The August 2019 to September 2019 percent change was revised from the preliminary estimate of virtually unchanged to down 0.1%.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers were $675.6 billion at the end of October, up 0.1% from the revised September level. Total inventories were up 3.8% from the revised October 2018 level. The September 2019 to October 2019 percent change was revised from the advance estimate of up 0.2% to up 0.1%.

The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.37. The October 2018 ratio was 1.30.