Wholesale Trade Sales Continue to Rise

6 December 2006

Wholesale Trade Sales Continue to Rise

Seasonally adjusted total wholesale trade sales for the September 2006 quarter increased 2.6 percent, Statistics New Zealand said today. This is the third consecutive quarterly increase since December 2005.

During this period the total sales trend has increased 5.1 percent, following a flat period in the second half of 2005. The total sales trend has increased steadily since the June 1998 quarter.

The two largest contributors to the increase in seasonally adjusted sales were the wholesaling industries for primary product food (up 9.9 percent); and farm and construction machinery, professional and business equipment (up 7.9 percent). These increases were partly offset by decreases in both food and grocery products and pharmaceutical and toiletry wholesaling.

Seasonally adjusted wholesale stocks for the September 2006 quarter were 2.9 percent higher than for the June 2006 quarter.

Brian Pink
Government Statistician

ENDS

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