Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.5% as Sales Gain 1.8%

Key Takeaways August 2026 wholesale inventories rose 0.5% to $964.2 billion. Sales increased 1.8% to $817.5 billion and lowered the inventory-to-sales ratio to 1.18. Category inventory ratios point to diverging replenishment needs, not a uniform freight surge. Wholesale inventories finished August at $964.2 billion, up 0.5% from July. Sales rose 1.8% to $817.5 billion, the Census Bureau reported October 8. The inventory-to-sales ratio fell to 1.18 from 1.19 in July and 1.28 a year earlier. Freight operators should note that split. Stocks rose in dollars, but sales grew faster. It does not prove a new import surge.

The mix matters more than the headline stockpile. A 1.18 ratio means wholesaler…