Wholesaling (Germany):
Upswing continues

Wholesalers evaluated their business situation even more favourably than in the previous month; only in non-durable consumer goods was there a decline. Due to a further increase in sales in comparison to the previous year, inventories have been reduced. With regard to the business outlook, confidence has increased again somewhat, although it has weakened again for non-durable consumer goods. The plans of the enterprises call for increased order volumes and the hiring of additional personnel in the coming months. Price increases are expected to continue unabated, especially in industrial B2B trade. The business situation of wholesalers in eastern Germany improved again after setbacks in the two previous months. With lively demand, order plans are still expansive even though confidence in the business outlook has decreased somewhat. More survey participants expect to see an increase in prices.