US Wholesale Sales Rise 1.8% in August 2026 to $817.5B
Merchant wholesaler sales climbed 1.8% month-over-month in August 2026, while inventories edged up 0.5%, Census Bureau data show.
U.S. merchant wholesalers posted sales of $817.5 billion in August 2026, a 1.8 percent increase from July, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The month-over-month gain carries a margin of error of plus or minus 0.2 percentage points.
End-of-month inventories reached $964.2 billion, rising 0.5 percent from the prior month — also within a plus-or-minus 0.2 percentage point range. The more modest inventory build relative to sales growth suggests wholesalers are moving goods at a pace that slightly outstrips stockpiling activity, a dynamic that can signal sustained downstream demand.
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The August inventory gain of 0.5 percent marks a deceleration from July's revised reading of 1.4 percent, indicating that the inventory expansion seen in mid-summer moderated heading into early fall. Revised July data are flagged with an "r" designation in the Census release, reflecting routine statistical adjustments.
Wholesale trade figures are a closely watched barometer of supply-chain momentum and business-to-business demand across the broader economy. Sustained sales growth at the wholesale level often precedes firmer readings in manufacturing output and retail restocking cycles, making the monthly report a key input for economists tracking economic conditions.
Continue reading at U.S. Census Bureau Economic Briefing Room.
