United States. The International Association of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors (Hardi) reported a 19.5% increase in sales from member distributors last December.
In five of seven regions analyzed, sales increased by approximately 20%, which is considered a substantial growth, considering the December 2012 report in which it was recorded by -1.8%.
"Month-to-month performance can be volatile. The strong growth reported for December reflects a couple of factors. This year we had an extra day of turnover than the previous year, and we had an extremely cold period that spread across much of the country during this season. Sales in December 2012 were quite weak in most of the country," said Brian Loftus, market analyst at Hardi.
Andrew Duguay, an economist at Hardi, said: "Annual sales growth improved to 7.3% after the strong December. 80% of members reported higher sales in 2013 compared to the previous year."
