The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that September 2005 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 $311.1 billion, up 2.4 percent (+/-0.7%) from the revised August level and were up 10.5 percent (+/-1.2%) from the September 2004 level.
The August preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.3 billion or 0.4 percent. September sales of durable goods increased 0.5 percent (+/-1.0%)* from last month and were up 8.0 percent (+/-1.7%) from a year ago.
September sales of nondurable goods increased 4.3 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 13.1 percent (+/-1.5%) from last year.
Wholesale apparel sales were recorded at $9,574 million against $9,415 million in August showing a 1.7 percent growth.
Chemicals sales improved slightly by 0.9 percent at $7,178 million in September against $7,113 million in the previous month.