October 2018 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 $510.1 billion, down 0.2 percent from the revised September level, but were up 6.8 percent from the October 2017 level. The August 2018 to September 2018 percent change was revised from the preliminary estimated increase of 0.2 percent to an increase of 0.1 percent.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $652.1 billion at the end of October, up 0.8 percent from the revised September level. Total inventories were up 6.9 percent from the revised October 2017 level. The September 2018 to October 2018 percent change was revised from the advance estimate of up 0.7 percent to up 0.8 percent. 

The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.28. The October 2017 ratio was 1.28.