No Change in Wholesaling Activity

No Change in Wholesaling Activity

Seasonally adjusted sales recorded no change in the September 2003 quarter, compared with the June 2003 quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand. This follows a rise of 1.3 percent and a fall of 2.0 percent in the March 2003 and June 2003 quarters, respectively.

Farm and construction machinery, professional and business equipment wholesaling (up $119 million); pharmaceutical and toiletry wholesaling (up $63 million) and unprocessed primary product wholesaling (up $44 million) recorded the largest increases in seasonally adjusted sales this quarter. These increases were offset by falls in seasonally adjusted sales of primary product food wholesaling (down $168 million), and wholesale trade not elsewhere classified (down $121 million).

The trend in wholesale sales decreased 0.9 percent in the September 2003 quarter, compared with the previous quarter. This follows a fall of 0.7 percent in the June 2003 quarter and a rise of 0.6 percent in the March 2003 quarter.

Between the end of June 2003 and the end of September 2003, the level of seasonally adjusted wholesale stocks fell by $63 million, and now stands at $7,876 million. Seasonally adjusted stocks have fallen by $153 million since the March 2003 quarter.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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