Economic Trends

April Wholesale Data: Industrial Distributors’ Optimism Hard to Ignore

While talks of a slowdown persist, industrial distributors outperformed nearly all other wholesale sectors in 1Q's first two months.

April 18, 2023

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Credit: Mike Hockett/MDM

We’ve been hearing for over a year now about a pending economic slowdown or recession, for which an estimated arrival time seems to have been pushed out until the fourth quarter of this year.  Through mid-April, MDM’s conversation with distribution executives, industry consultants and association leaders continue to paint an optimistic picture for industrial demand and what they are hearing from customers and field sales reps, signaling that many industrial end markets may prove more resilient to a forecasted slowdown if it arrives in-full.

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