Johannesburg - Wholesale trade sales, measured in real terms, dropped 2.2% year-on-year in August, Statistics SA said on Thursday.
"Seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales increased by 3.4% in August 2014 compared with July 2014," Stats SA said.
This followed month-on-month changes of a 4.8% decrease in July 2014 and a 2.5% increase in June 2014.
Seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales decreased by 0.4% in the three months ended August 2014, compared with the previous three months.
Regarding sales at current prices (nominal terms) for August 2014, wholesale trade sales increased by 4.5% in August 2014 compared with August 2013.
The major contributors to this increase were dealers in solid, liquid and gaseous fuels and related products (73% and contributing 1.6 percentage points), and food, beverages and tobacco (6.6% and contributing 1.1 percentage points).
Wholesale trade sales increased by 6.2% in the three months ended August 2014 compared with the three months ended August 2013.
The major contributors to this increase were dealers in solid, liquid and gaseous fuels and related products (10.3% and contributing 2.3 percentage points), food, beverages and tobacco (8.6% and contributing 1.4 percentage points), and "other" household goods except precious stones (10.5% and contributing 1.1 percentage points).
Wholesale trade sales decreased by 2,2% year-on-year in August 2014 #StatsSA http://t.co/Adeb4WYYHQ
— Stats SA (@StatsSA) October 16, 2014