Sales were down in four of seven subsectors, representing 65% of total wholesale sales. The building material and supplies and the motor vehicle and parts subsectors led the declines in August, while the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector posted the largest gain.

In volume terms, wholesale sales edged down 0.1%.

The building material and supplies subsector declined for the second time in three months, down 2.3% to $9.5 billion in August. Sales were down in two of three industries, with the lumber, millwork, hardware and other building supplies industry (-3.5%) contributing the most to the decline. The decrease in August offset the gain in July for both the subsector (+1.2%) and the industry (+0.3%). Related indicators including housing starts (-6.4%), and exports of forestry products and building and packaging materials (-2.8%) also declined in August.