October 2023 sales of U.S. merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading day differences but not for price changes, were $667.9 billion, down 1.3% from the revised September level and were down 0.4% from the revised October 2022 level. The August 2023 to September 2023 percent change was revised from the preliminary estimate of up 2.2% to up 2.0%, as the U.S. Census Bureau announced.
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 $897.1 billion at the end of October, down 0.4% from the revised September level. Total inventories were down 2.3% from the revised October 2022 level. The September 2023 to October 2023 percent change was revised from the advance estimate of down 0.2% to down 0.4%.
Inventories/Sales Ratio
The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.34. The October 2022 ratio was 1.37.
