Wholesale trade sales up 0.3 per cent in Sept qtr

Seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales rose 0.3 per cent in the September quarter, compared with the previous period, according to Statistics New Zealand.

The rise followed increases of 3.3 per cent in the June quarter and 1.9 per cent in the March quarter.

Petroleum product wholesaling recorded the largest rise in seasonally adjusted sales for the September quarter, up $97 million.

Motor vehicle wholesaling was next, up $75 million.

These increases were offset by a decrease in seasonally adjusted sales of primary product food wholesaling, which fell $230 million.

Stocks rose by $489 million to $8.4 billion between the end of September 2003 and the end of September this year. The biggest factor behind the annual rise was petroleum product wholesaling, up $158 million.

- NZPA