Trend Growth Eases for Wholesale Trade

2 June 2005

Wholesale Trade Survey: March 2005 quarter -

Trend Growth Eases for Wholesale Trade

Quarterly trend growth for wholesale trade sales has eased over the past six months, Statistics New Zealand said today. The sales trend increased 1.6 percent over the last two quarters, compared to a 4.3 percent increase for the six months ending September 2004.

Seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales increased 0.4 percent in the March 2005 quarter, compared with the December 2004 quarter. Eleven of the 16 industries recorded increases in seasonally adjusted sales in the March 2005 quarter, compared with the December 2004 quarter.

The two largest increases were for food and grocery products wholesaling (up $103 million or 3.1 percent), and machinery and equipment nec wholesaling (up $54 million or 5.8 percent). These increases were partly offset by the decreases in seasonally adjusted sales of primary product food wholesaling (down $91 million or 5.3 percent), and wholesale trade nec wholesaling (down $69 million or 5.5 percent).

Between the end of March 2004 and the end of March 2005, the level of wholesale stocks rose by $697 million, to $8,685 million. For the third consecutive quarter the largest contributor to this rise was petroleum product wholesaling.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

ENDS

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