Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers' sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $642.7 billion at the end of August, up 1.0 percent from the revised July level. Total inventories were up 5.3 percent from the revised August 2017 level. The July 2018 to August 2018 percent change was revised from the advance estimate of up 0.8 percent to up 1.0 percent.

The August inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers' sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.26. The August 2017 ratio was 1.30.