Groceries And Fruit Lift Wholesale Trade
Higher grocery sales and fruit exports helped to lift overall wholesale trade values in the September 2017 quarter,
Stats NZ said today. This was partly offset by vehicle sales dipping from recent high levels.
Seasonally adjusted total wholesale trade sales value rose 1.1 percent in the September 2017 quarter, after rising 1.6
percent in the June 2017 quarter. This was the sixth consecutive quarterly rise.
Four of the six wholesaling industries rose in the September quarter.
The largest industry increase was in grocery, liquor, and tobacco wholesaling, up 2.8 percent ($218 million) from the
June 2017 quarter.
“The increase in this industry was mainly driven by fruit exports and grocery wholesaling,” wholesale trade manager Sue
Chapman said.
Basic materials saw the second-largest rise of any industry, up 3.4 percent ($182 million).
“Basic materials include other agricultural products, hardware goods, timber, and metal, mineral, and chemical
wholesaling,” Ms Chapman said.
Vehicles and parts sales down
Wholesale sales values for motor vehicles and parts, including cars and trucks, fell 3.6 percent ($98 million). Sales
values for this industry were at high levels in recent quarters.
“Although the sales fell in motor vehicle and parts wholesaling, stocks continued to build up in the September quarter,”
Ms Chapman said. The retail trade survey for the September 2017 quarter showed that motor vehicles and parts sales also dipped slightly from previous quarters.
Wholesale trade sales total $25.5 billion
The actual value of wholesale trade sales was $25.5 billion in the latest quarter, up $1.5 billion (6.2 percent) from
the September 2016 quarter.
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ENDS