Wholesale trade sales at constant (2000) prices for September 2008 increased by 6.0 percent year-on-year from 0.1 percent in August, Statistics South Africa data showed on Thursday.

These lower levels come after a level of 19.1 percent had been seen in April, a month that did see additional working days due to the Easter holidays and thus caused some distorting effects. The increase in September 2007 was 4.1 percent.

For 2007 as a whole wholesale trade sales at constant prices were up 6.3 percent y/y compared with 6.6 percent y/y in 2006.

Wholesale trade sales, at constant (2000) prices, for the third quarter of 2008 increased by 4.2 percent compared with the third quarter of 2007. The corresponding growth in 2007 was 4.5 percent. However, seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales, at constant (2000) prices, for the third quarter of 2008 decreased by 3.9 percent compared with the second quarter of 2008.

In the first nine months of 2008, wholesale trade sales, at constant (2000) prices, increased by 7.0 percent compared with the same period in 2007. The annual growth rate for the corresponding period in 2007 was 6.5 percent.

Wholesale trade sales, at current prices, for the third quarter of 2008 increased by 24.2 percent compared with the same period in 2007.

Wholesale trade sales, at current prices, for September 2008 increased by 24.0 percent compared with September 2007.

The major contributors to the 24.2 percent increase in wholesale trade sales at current prices for the third quarter of 2008 as compared with the third quarter of 2007 were dealers in solid, liquid and gaseous fuels and related products (+9.0 percentage points), dealers in machinery, equipment and supplies (+3.8 percentage points) and dealers in food, beverages and tobacco (+2.5 percentage points).

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