Businesses who responded to a monthly sales report from the American Supply Association reported a median sales increase of 27% for February versus the same month in 2021.

“These results reflect another month of robust performance compared to the same month a year ago, though compared to January 2022 totals, the median sales growth was a more modest 4.5%, reports Industry Insights, which prepares the report for ASA distributor members,” the ASA said in its monthly announcement.

Respondents reported year-to-date sales growth of 25%; for the trailing 12 months ending February 2022, respondents reported strong sales growth of 23.4%, the ASA said.

“The current trailing 12-month period contains sales from a period that has experienced significant price inflation and the comparison 12-month period contains 10 months of 2020 that had multiple weeks of closures or partial closures,” said Greg Manns, senior vice president for Industry Insights, which furnishes the report. “Nonetheless, it is encouraging that half the respondents reported trailing-12-month sales growth between 17.2% to 32%.”

Inventory also jumped 38% for February 2022 compared with February 2021, the ASA said. The median three-month-average days sales outstanding rose from 40 days in January to 41 in February.

Industrial PVF distribution firm respondents to the monthly sales report showed a median sales increase of 33.5% for February 2022 versus February 2021, the ASA said.

On a trailing-12-month basis, industrial PVF respondents reported a median sales increase of 27.4%; inventory rose 32.93 for February 2022, while the three-months-average days sales outstanding decreased slightly to 49.3 for industrial PVF respondents, according to the report.