Wholesale sales rose 1.5% to $62.4 billion in July, following a 0.6% decline in June. Sales were up in five of the seven subsectors, representing 86% of total wholesale sales. The building material and supplies and the food, beverage and tobacco subsectors contributed the most to the advance.

In volume terms, wholesale sales were up 2.1%.

The building material and supplies subsector reported the largest gain in dollar terms in July, increasing 4.8% to $9.0 billion. Two of three industries within the subsector reported higher sales-led by the lumber, millwork, hardware and other building supplies industry (+9.6%)-which posted its fourth increase in five months.

Sales in the food, beverage and tobacco subsector rose 2.4% to $12.2 billion in July, following a 1.2% decline in June. All three industries in the subsector increased, led by the food industry-up 1.3% to $10.9 billion-mostly erasing the 1.4% decline in June.