Upward Trend Continues for Wholesale Trade

Wholesale Trade Survey: June 2005 quarter

Embargoed until 10:45am — 5 September 2005

Upward Trend Continues for Wholesale Trade

The sales trend in the wholesale sector rose 1.8 percent in the June 2005 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. This is the eighth consecutive quarter of trend growth. During this period the trend has risen 15.0 percent.

Seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales increased 2.6 percent in the June 2005 quarter, with ten of the 16 industry groups recording increases in seasonally adjusted sales. The two largest contributors to the increase were builders' supplies wholesaling (up 12.3 percent), and farm and construction machinery, professional and business equipment wholesaling (up 5.1 percent). These increases were partly offset by decreases in primary product food wholesaling (down 7.1 percent), and unprocessed primary product wholesaling (down 4.6 percent).

Seasonally adjusted total wholesale stocks at 30 June 2005 were 3.7 percent higher than at 31 March 2005. Compared with the June 2004 quarter, actual wholesale trade sales increased 5.7 percent in the June 2005 quarter, reaching $19,169 million. The level of wholesale stocks at 30 June 2005 was $921 million higher, at $9,253 million. The largest contributor to this rise was stocks of petroleum products.

Cathryn Ashley-Jones

Acting Government Statistician

ENDS

© Scoop Media