Table 2. Estimated Annual Purchases, Gross Margins and Gross Margins/Sales Ratios of Merchant Wholesalers, Except Manufacturers' Sales Branches and Offices, by Kind of Business: 1992 through 2004 [Purchases and gross margins estimates are shown in millions of dollars. Estimates are based on data from the Annual Wholesale Trade Survey. Estimates have been adjusted using the final results of the 2002 Economic Census] NAICS Code Kind of Business 1992 1993 1994 1995 42 Purchases, Total ...................................... 1,433,038 1,484,899 1,585,326 1,719,831 423 Durable goods........................................... 663,917 726,432 806,816 878,929 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 129,552 131,569 140,095 135,999 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 21,016 22,804 23,923 25,922 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 41,199 47,815 54,117 54,413 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 95,517 115,919 127,968 154,635 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 57,227 58,126 66,392 68,674 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 86,521 103,268 122,823 142,948 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 32,978 34,164 39,803 42,023 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 109,373 118,761 129,238 142,032 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 90,534 94,006 102,457 112,283 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 769,121 758,467 778,510 840,902 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 36,785 37,668 42,331 51,692 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 61,551 62,018 67,145 73,828 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 45,360 47,855 49,890 48,738 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 234,467 239,874 244,903 258,072 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 102,453 92,864 93,195 111,243 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 29,639 30,692 33,675 38,700 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 126,346 115,402 112,611 113,930 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 37,956 38,633 40,039 39,862 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 94,564 93,461 94,721 104,837 42 Gross Margins, Total................................... 371,338 406,584 455,598 423 Durable goods........................................... 218,798 243,669 274,540 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 28,317 31,104 34,136 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 9,370 9,515 10,884 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 11,103 11,852 11,935 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 40,510 40,308 46,143 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 14,784 16,576 17,966 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 32,066 39,038 47,184 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 12,651 14,607 14,581 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 43,402 48,453 53,385 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 26,595 32,216 38,326 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 152,540 162,915 181,058 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 12,694 13,280 14,833 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 7,995 9,618 9,542 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 18,542 19,367 18,407 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 43,340 45,279 51,327 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 10,462 11,272 16,572 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 9,649 9,978 12,032 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 11,915 13,540 12,469 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 12,328 12,094 12,764 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 25,615 28,487 33,112 42 Gross Margins/Sales Ratio, Total....................... 20.09 20.59 21.10 423 Durable goods........................................... 23.28 23.48 24.05 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 17.66 18.18 20.11 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 29.15 28.56 29.76 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 18.98 18.13 18.00 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 26.10 24.37 23.31 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 20.48 20.29 20.64 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 23.81 24.53 25.28 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 27.26 27.45 25.86 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 26.82 27.78 27.91 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 22.40 24.04 25.57 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 16.79 17.38 17.80 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 25.28 23.96 22.45 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 11.59 12.59 11.40 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 28.23 28.26 27.23 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 15.28 15.62 16.61 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 10.26 10.88 13.20 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 24.19 23.05 23.94 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 9.33 10.80 9.86 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 24.26 23.25 24.31 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 21.48 23.22 24.34 Table 2. Estimated Annual Purchases, Gross Margins and Gross Margins/Sales Ratios of Merchant Wholesalers, Except Manufacturers' Sales Branches and Offices, by Kind of Business: 1992 through 2004 NAICS Code Kind of Business 1996 1997 1998 42 Purchases, Total ...................................... 1,818,751 1,905,898 1,942,911 423 Durable goods........................................... 912,744 972,110 1,011,882 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 137,116 136,815 145,700 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 26,796 28,621 31,026 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 59,307 63,633 65,528 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 169,044 184,485 200,876 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. (NA) 118,562 132,911 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 68,772 73,861 72,164 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 143,295 152,495 157,064 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 44,208 47,235 49,491 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 153,130 165,740 179,982 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 111,076 119,225 110,051 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 906,007 933,788 931,029 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 50,675 52,082 54,108 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 82,896 94,006 110,654 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 52,204 59,510 61,681 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 264,979 277,468 288,827 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 128,750 122,358 101,678 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 40,798 42,607 42,413 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 129,948 126,159 106,976 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 42,445 44,317 46,654 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 113,312 115,281 118,038 42 Gross Margins, Total................................... 467,713 489,451 497,884 423 Durable goods........................................... 280,096 295,438 305,286 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 34,324 36,245 39,182 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 11,303 11,689 12,378 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 13,941 14,529 13,877 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 51,931 55,795 55,835 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. (NA) (NA) 24,478 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 17,839 18,426 16,959 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 42,744 43,142 45,997 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 15,475 15,510 16,858 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 55,325 62,450 69,715 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 37,214 37,652 34,485 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 187,617 194,013 192,598 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 14,083 15,050 14,942 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 12,785 14,995 17,147 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 21,250 26,386 25,569 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 52,620 53,520 52,825 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 13,649 11,231 7,998 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 13,077 13,694 14,237 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 14,014 12,790 11,492 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 13,847 14,396 15,423 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 32,292 31,951 32,965 42 Gross Margins/Sales Ratio, Total....................... 20.47 20.58 20.51 423 Durable goods........................................... 23.53 23.51 23.37 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 19.95 21.03 21.32 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 29.67 29.06 28.77 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 19.16 18.76 17.39 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 23.58 23.52 21.68 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. (NA) (NA) 15.51 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 20.70 20.13 19.16 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 22.84 22.05 22.87 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 26.19 24.80 25.72 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 26.78 27.90 28.61 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 25.11 24.19 24.02 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 17.15 17.30 17.19 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 21.72 22.63 21.62 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 13.55 13.96 13.65 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 29.06 31.28 29.45 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 16.56 16.21 15.46 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 9.42 8.45 7.27 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 24.40 24.43 25.29 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 9.77 9.17 9.66 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 24.75 24.69 24.97 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 22.13 21.84 21.93 Table 2. Estimated Annual Purchases, Gross Margins and Gross Margins/Sales Ratios of Merchant Wholesalers, Except Manufacturers' Sales Branches and Offices, by Kind of Business: 1992 through 2004 NAICS Code Kind of Business 1999 2000 2001 42 Purchases, Total ...................................... 2,077,902 2,258,142 2,214,759 423 Durable goods........................................... 1,088,948 1,147,766 1,082,152 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 169,495 175,533 185,164 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 33,640 37,460 36,622 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 72,975 71,579 72,733 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 220,402 219,312 201,779 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. 149,076 147,020 125,767 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 69,520 74,841 66,798 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 174,364 202,399 178,325 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 51,547 54,133 49,780 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 182,820 188,841 180,919 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 114,185 123,668 110,032 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 988,954 1,110,376 1,132,607 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 57,190 61,012 59,928 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 133,376 156,693 185,410 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 62,928 67,660 68,101 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 299,055 315,331 315,614 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 92,419 95,377 91,985 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 43,157 46,998 47,749 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 126,196 178,509 174,909 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 50,489 53,145 55,237 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 124,144 135,651 133,674 42 Gross Margins, Total................................... 539,375 576,089 559,521 423 Durable goods........................................... 329,257 349,784 324,058 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 46,127 48,564 48,391 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 13,756 15,982 15,493 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 16,318 15,831 16,976 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 63,038 62,898 62,714 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. 27,343 26,496 25,367 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 16,993 19,590 16,704 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 52,831 61,387 48,753 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 17,214 18,897 18,688 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 67,134 68,510 64,243 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 35,846 38,125 32,096 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 210,118 226,305 235,463 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 16,123 17,590 15,617 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 21,579 23,944 32,091 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 27,014 29,241 31,185 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 58,673 59,879 60,676 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 7,667 8,120 8,721 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 14,902 15,285 16,602 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 13,965 17,950 16,474 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 17,216 18,565 19,500 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 32,979 35,731 34,597 42 Gross Margins/Sales Ratio, Total....................... 20.75 20.47 20.09 423 Durable goods........................................... 23.41 23.53 22.79 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 21.72 21.85 20.60 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 29.31 30.33 29.55 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 18.44 18.16 18.92 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 22.37 22.29 23.42 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. 15.56 15.15 16.49 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 19.64 20.88 19.69 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 23.57 23.61 21.03 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 25.13 26.23 27.07 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 27.07 26.75 25.99 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 23.96 23.78 22.23 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 17.62 17.04 17.28 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 22.04 22.62 20.49 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 14.24 13.61 15.23 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 29.89 30.30 31.51 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 16.48 15.98 16.09 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 7.64 7.91 8.64 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 25.82 24.55 25.87 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 9.99 9.17 8.60 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 25.57 26.02 26.05 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 21.08 20.91 20.54 Table 2. Estimated Annual Purchases, Gross Margins and Gross Margins/Sales Ratios of Merchant Wholesalers, Except Manufacturers' Sales Branches and Offices, by Kind of Business: 1992 through 2004 NAICS Code Kind of Business 2002 2003 2004 42 Purchases, Total ...................................... 2,253,776 2,366,842 2,650,318 423 Durable goods........................................... 1,077,100 1,103,003 1,273,767 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 198,877 208,457 226,987 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 36,950 37,906 41,037 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 77,198 86,190 105,818 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 202,485 202,479 222,448 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. 121,508 117,218 127,885 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 64,327 64,414 96,222 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 171,485 175,150 196,874 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 51,084 51,561 58,159 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 164,903 166,305 189,271 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 109,791 110,541 136,951 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 1,176,676 1,263,839 1,376,551 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 56,800 57,977 63,356 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 215,529 242,950 262,159 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 73,144 72,367 73,749 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 321,960 331,277 345,222 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 95,216 105,783 113,167 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 49,880 51,544 57,549 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 176,847 209,093 246,770 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 58,370 61,010 61,543 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 128,930 131,838 153,036 42 Gross Margins, Total................................... 586,179 601,567 676,175 423 Durable goods........................................... 344,082 348,432 405,918 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 55,358 50,080 52,398 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 16,929 17,270 17,646 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 18,329 21,054 25,730 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 70,709 70,391 76,107 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. 28,863 27,687 30,462 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 17,626 17,177 32,140 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 50,171 51,265 59,123 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 19,386 19,721 20,528 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 60,165 62,795 76,056 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 35,409 38,679 46,190 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 242,097 253,135 270,257 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 15,559 16,041 19,198 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 31,608 31,011 34,248 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 33,038 31,364 35,094 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 65,435 74,417 65,586 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 8,457 11,929 6,561 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 18,359 18,213 19,482 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 16,365 16,824 30,375 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 21,438 21,447 24,547 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 31,838 31,889 35,166 42 Gross Margins/Sales Ratio, Total....................... 20.67 20.31 20.51 423 Durable goods........................................... 24.21 24.05 24.53 4231 Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies....... 21.97 19.46 18.86 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishings........................... 31.65 31.54 30.27 4233 Lumber & Other Construction Materials.................... 19.28 19.92 20.00 4234 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies....... 25.95 25.82 25.69 42343 Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software. 19.16 19.18 19.34 4235 Metals and Minerals, ex. Petroleum....................... 21.56 21.10 26.53 4236 Electrical and Electronic Goods.......................... 22.50 22.57 23.30 4237 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies 27.52 27.68 26.48 4238 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies....................... 26.42 27.20 29.23 4239 Miscellaneous Durable Goods.............................. 24.31 26.14 25.52 424 Nondurable goods........................................ 17.12 16.73 16.46 4241 Paper and Paper Products................................. 21.42 21.71 23.53 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries............................ 12.87 11.34 11.55 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions........................ 31.23 30.04 32.36 4244 Grocery and Related Products............................. 16.96 18.36 16.01 4245 Farm Product Raw Materials............................... 8.18 10.36 5.33 4246 Chemicals and Allied Products............................ 27.11 26.12 25.51 4247 Petroleum and Petroleum Products......................... 8.49 7.45 11.05 4248 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages............ 27.07 26.09 28.67 4249 Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods........................... 19.76 19.52 18.94 (NA) = NOT AVAILABLE Note: Estimates have not been adjusted for price changes. Table 4 provides estimated measures of sampling variability. The introduction and appendixes give information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, sample design and definitions.