Wholesale inventories rose 0.8% in January as companies sought to rebuild stockpiles after the holiday season and to try to meet strong demand. Sales in the month increased 4%, the government said Tuesday. The inventory-to-sales ratio fell to 1.20 form 1.24, matching a pandemic low. The ratio reflects how long it would take a company to sell all the goods sitting on warehouse shelves. The low readings show just how hard it is for businesses to produce enough goods to satisfy customers amid major shortages of labor and supplies.
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