The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that January 2011 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 $387.0 billion, up 3.4 percent (+/-0.7%) from the revised December level and were up 15.4 percent (+/-1.4%) from the January 2010 level. The December preliminary estimate was revised upward $2.7 billion or 0.7 percent. January sales of durable goods were up 2.3 percent (+/-0.9%) from last month and were up 14.5 percent (+/- 1.4%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 7.8 percent and sales of electrical and electronic goods were up 3.4 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 4.4 percent (+/-0.9%) from last month and were up 16.2 percent (+/-2.1%) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 10.6 percent from last month and sales of farm product raw materials were up 5.7 percent.

Inventories Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $436.9 billion at the end of January, up 1.1 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised December level and were up 11.9 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago. The December preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.5 billion or 0.3 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 1.1 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 9.4 percent (+/-1.6%) from last January. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 4.1 percent and inventories of hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies were up 2.4 percent from last month. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 1.2 percent (+/-0.9%) from December and were up 15.7 percent (+/-2.1%) compared to last January. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 3.5 percent from last month and inventories of grocery and related products were up 2.9 percent

Inventories/Sales Ratio

The January inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.13. The January 2010 ratio was 1.16.