Inventories held by beer, wine and distilled alcoholic beverages wholesalers in March were valued at $19.4 billion, an increase of 8.5 percent over the same period a year earlier, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report.

Beer, wine and distilled alcoholic beverages wholesalers reported inventories worth $17.9 billion in March 2019.

The data is after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading day differences, but not for price changes.

The Census Bureau conducts a monthly wholesale trade survey in order to provide an up-to-date indication of sales and inventory trends for U.S. merchant wholesalers, excluding manufacturers' sales branches and offices.

The survey is considered to be a reliable measure of current economic activity.

Information requested in the survey includes monthly sales reports, end-of-month inventories, number of establishments covered by the report, and the ending date of the reporting period.