Sales. December 2007 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’sales branches and
offices, were $376.6 billion, down 0.7 percent from the revised November level and up 10.6 percent from December 2006, said the U.S. Census Bureau. The November preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.1 billion or 0.3 percent. December sales of durable goods were down 2.0 percent from last month, but were up 1.6 percent from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of electrical and electronic goods were down 4.3 percent and sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were down 4.0 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.4 percent from last month and were up 19.3 percent from last year.

Inventories. Total inventories of merchant …