January 2009 sales of wholesalers were down 2.9% from December to $326.1 billion, and down 15.4% from January 2008. January sales of durable goods were down 6.5% from last month and down 17.3% from a year ago.
 
Compared to last month, sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 15.3% and sales of machinery, equipment, and supplies were down 10.8%. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.3% from last month, but were down 13.7 percent from last year. Sales of chemicals and allied products were down 4.9% from last month, while sales of drugs and druggists’ sundries were up 2.1%.
 
Inventories fell 0.7% from December but were up 1% from a year ago. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were down 1.3% but were up 4% from last January. …