Wholesale trade up across all industries

All wholesale trade industries recorded higher sales in the December 2017 quarter, Stats NZ said today.

The seasonally adjusted total sales value for wholesale trade rose 3.0 percent in the December 2017 quarter, after rising 1.4 percent in the September quarter. The December rise was the seventh-consecutive quarterly rise and the largest since the September 2010 quarter, when the value rose 3.8 percent.

By industry, basic material wholesaling had the largest increase in sales value, up 6.3 percent ($354 million) from the September quarter when adjusted for seasonal effects.

“Other agricultural products wholesaling was the main contributor to the increase in basic material industry,” wholesale trade manager Sue Chapman said.

Other agricultural products wholesaling includes businesses supplying products such as livestock, feed, seed, and fertiliser. Petroleum products and hardware goods also made sizeable contributions to the increase in basic material.

Machinery and equipment had the second-largest rise of all industries, up 3.3 percent ($167million). Machinery and equipment includes agricultural and construction machinery, computer and computer peripherals, telecommunication goods, and professional and scientific goods.

The third-largest rise in sales value by industry was in motor vehicles and parts, including cars and trucks, up 5.9 percent ($153 million) in the December quarter. This rise follows a 3.0 percent fall in the September quarter.

"The sales rise in motor vehicles and parts wholesaling coincides with a recent increase in retail sales of vehicles and parts," Ms Chapman said. "Retail trade survey for the December 2017 quarter showed that motor vehicles and parts sales rose in both value and volume."

The actual value of total wholesale trade sales was $27.9 billion in the December 2017 quarter, up $2.2 billion (8.4 percent) from the December 2016 quarter.

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