Key findings: P6141.2 - Wholesale trade sales, December 2009

Wholesale trade sales in real terms

Wholesale trade sales, at constant 2000 prices, for the fourth quarter of 2009 decreased by 10,8% compared with the fourth quarter of 2008, an improvement on the 13,0% decrease reported for the third quarter of 2009. Seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales for the fourth quarter of 2009 increased by 2,0% compared with the third quarter of 2009.

Although annual wholesale trade sales for 2009 were 10,9% lower compared with 2008, sales for December 2009 decreased by only 6,3% year-on-year.

Wholesale trade sales in nominal terms

Wholesale trade sales, at current prices, for the fourth quarter of 2009 decreased by 12,0% compared with the fourth quarter of 2008. The major contributors to this decrease were dealers in solid, liquid and gaseous fuels and related products (-23,7% and contributing -4,4 percentage points) and dealers in machinery, equipment and supplies (-21,3% and contributing -4,2 percentage points)