Wholesale trade improved in May compared to the same month a year ago and was up slightly from the previous month of April, according to a Friday report by the U.S. Census Bureau.

May 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 $576.5 billion, up 0.8% from the revised April level and were up 36.8% from the revised May 2020 level. The March 2021 to April 2021 percent change was revised from the preliminary estimate of up 0.8% to up 1.1%.

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 $709.8 billion at the end of May, up 1.3% from the revised April level. Total inventories were up 8.2% from the revised May 2020 level. The April 2021 to May 2021 percent change was revised from the advance estimate of up 1.1% to up 1.3%.

The May inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.23. The May 2020 ratio was 1.56.