Component distributors in the UK are more confident about business prospects than at any time in the last three months.
A survey of 20 managers in the distribution sector found that two-thirds of those asked said that new-order levels were up in the last month.
As a result, a similar proportion were more confident of business prospects than three months ago.
For more details see: Distribution survey sees confidence levels improving
This is first sign that business confidence may be starting to turn around in the component distribution sector which has been hit very hard by the industry downturn since the third quarter of 2008.
But the industry is sitting in a very deep through and no one questioned in the survey believed there would be a rapid upturn in the market in the coming months
Two-thirds of managers questioned did not expect sustainable sales growth to return to the business before 2010.
“Most feedback from analysis is that Q309 and or Q409 will see a level of normalisation, however we do not see this in EMEA or the UK at this stage,” said one manager.
Half felt the market would not return to growth until the send half of next year.