[Economic Indicators April, 2004]
[Page Number 20]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
BUSINESS SALES AND INVENTORIES--Manufacturing and Trade

In February, according to preliminary estimates, manufacturing and trade 
sales rose 0.9 percent and inventories rose $8.2 billion. In March, 
according to advance estimates, manufacturing and trade sales rose 2.9 
percent. According to advance estimates, retail sales rose 2.0 percent 
in March. Retail and food services sales rose 1.8 percent.
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                                       [Millions of dollars, except ratios; seasonally adjusted, except as noted]
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                                    Manufacturing and trade \1\                Wholesale                             Retail
                                -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Retail and
                                                          Inven-                            Inven-                                 Inven-       food
             Period                           Inven-      tory-                 Inven-       tory                                   tory      services
                                 Sales \2\  tories \3\    sales    Sales \2\  tories \3\    sales    Sales \2\  Inventories \3\    sales      sales \2\
                                                        ratio \4\                         ratio \4\                              ratio \4\
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1994 ..........................    610,669     930,681       1.47    161,133     218,119       1.29    179,693       312,227          1.66       198,496
1995 ..........................    655,227     989,067       1.48    176,227     234,268       1.30    189,028       329,582          1.72       208,496
1996 ..........................    687,472   1,008,623       1.46    186,649     237,186       1.28    201,058       340,621          1.67       221,299
1997 ..........................    724,126   1,049,527       1.42    194,541     254,763       1.27    210,027       350,960          1.64       231,530
1998 ..........................    743,702   1,081,988       1.44    198,319     267,689       1.32    220,399       365,068          1.62       243,119
1999 ..........................    787,531   1,142,277       1.41    211,631     284,396       1.30    239,910       394,235          1.59       263,733
2000 ..........................    835,194   1,200,666       1.41    228,630     301,618       1.29    255,849       417,652          1.59       281,385
2001 ..........................    819,061   1,146,151       1.44    225,123     287,913       1.32    263,063       406,002          1.58       289,667
2002 ..........................    822,013   1,163,690       1.40    228,524     288,990       1.25    269,177       430,512          1.56       296,965
2003 ..........................    856,998   1,185,477       1.37    240,442     295,435       1.21    283,295       451,458          1.56       313,057
 
2003:Feb r.....................    834,035   1,172,125       1.41    235,557     289,251       1.23    272,887       436,786          1.60       301,347
    Mar r......................    847,323   1,175,914       1.39    237,727     290,483       1.22    278,832       440,251          1.58       307,844
    Apr .......................    836,020   1,177,569       1.41    234,998     290,655       1.24    278,414       441,707          1.59       307,406
    May .......................    837,117   1,174,141       1.40    234,073     289,756       1.24    279,124       440,336          1.58       308,644
    June ......................    847,662   1,174,533       1.39    237,209     289,727       1.22    281,810       442,140          1.57       311,525
    July ......................    861,781   1,174,519       1.36    239,113     290,210       1.21    285,420       443,542          1.55       315,366
    Aug .......................    860,151   1,169,030       1.36    240,029     289,961       1.21    288,446       439,437          1.52       318,942
    Sept ......................    866,774   1,173,444       1.35    241,527     291,248       1.21    287,649       443,902          1.54       317,464
    Oct .......................    873,519   1,177,496       1.35    246,430     292,549       1.19    287,264       446,267          1.55       318,064
    Nov .......................    879,925   1,181,735       1.34    247,737     293,534       1.18    290,734       450,075          1.55       321,798
    Dec .......................    891,329   1,185,477       1.33    251,526     295,435       1.17    291,318       451,458          1.55       322,342
 
2004:Jan r.....................    894,394   1,187,402       1.33    253,664     296,016       1.17    292,253       451,357          1.54       323,918
    Feb p......................    902,260   1,195,630       1.33    259,109     299,712       1.16  r 294,994       453,120          1.54     r 327,038
    Mar p......................    928,300  ..........  .........    266,213     301,583       1.13    300,785  ...............  .........       333,012
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    \1\ See page 21 for 
manufacturing.
    \2\ Annual data are averages of 
monthly not seasonally adjusted 
figures; monthly data are seasonally 
adjusted totals for month.
    \3\ Seasonally adjusted, end of 
period.
    \4\ Annual data are averages of 
seasonally adjusted monthly ratios.

    Source: Department of Commerce, 
Bureau of the Census.