HARDI’s monthly TRENDS report shows average sales for HARDI distributor members increased by 8.2% in December 2015. The annualized growth for the 12 months through December 2015 was 5.7%. This compares to the 6.1% gain in 2014 and was the second consecutive year of slower growth since a 7.3% figure was reported for calendar 2013. Days sales outstanding for respondents to the TRENDS report is 49.9.

“Most of the eastern half of the country was unusually warm in December,” HARDI Market Research and Benchmarking Analyst Brian Loftus said. “The cooler temperatures in the western region was responsible for the boost to sales at the end of the calendar year.”