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

April 2021 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 $570.8 billion, up 0.8% from the revised March level and were up 43.6% from the revised April 2020 level. The February 2021 to March 2021 percent change was revised from the preliminary estimate of up 4.6% to up 4.3%.

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 $698.0 billion at the end of April, up 0.8% from the revised March level. Total inventories were up 5.2% from the revised April 2020 level. The March 2021 to April 2021 percent change was unrevised from the advance estimate of up 0.8%.

The April inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.22. The April 2020 ratio was 1.67.