Wholesaling (Germany):
Expansive

In wholesaling, after the weakening tendencies in the past four months, positive assessments of the business situation now predominate. The improvement affected both the consumer goods area and industrial B2B trade. The business outlook has improved further although for the food and beverage sector confidence has decreased. Since inventory pressure has also abated, order plans are now more frequently expansive. According to the survey responses, price increases are more common and firms also see scope for further price hikes in the future. Wholesalers in the new federal states registered a somewhat weaker business activity although the positive judgments were still clearly in the majority. More optimism was expressed regarding the business outlook; with reduce inventory pressure order plans are now increasingly more expansive. The rise in prices should continue nearly unabated.