The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published  in June, shows builders’ merchants’ value sales in April were up +3.0% compared to April 2024. Volumes increased +3.4% year-on-year, while prices eased -0.3%. With one less trading day in the most recent period, like-for-like value sales – which take trading day differences into account – were up +8.2%.

Year-on-Year

Seven of the twelve categories sold more compared to April last year, with seasonal category Landscaping (+13.3%) well ahead of the rest. Workwear & Safetywear (+8.7%), Miscellaneous (+5.3%) and Heavy Building Materials (+3.7%) performed well. Timber & Joinery Products (+1.7%) also sold more but less than Total Merchants. The weakest categories were Decorating (-3.3%) and Plumbing Heating & Electrical (-3.9%).

Month-on-month

Value sales in April were +0.9% above the previous month’s sales. Month-on-month, volume sales were flat at -0.2%, and prices increased +1.0%. Just four categories sold more compared to March, with Landscaping (+15.6%) and Workwear & Safety (+6.0%) ahead the most. The two largest categories – Timber & Joinery Products (+0.7%) and Heavy Building Materials (+0.1%) -– sold more but underperformed compared to Total Merchants. Decorating was down – 3.2%. With one less trading day in April, likefor- like value sales were +5.9% up.

Latest 12 months

Total value sales in the 12 months May 2024 to April 2025 were down -2.3% on the previous 12-month period (May 2023 to April 2024). Volume sales dropped – 1.5% and prices were -0.8% lower. Five of the twelve categories sold more with Workwear & Safetywear and Tools (both +5.3%) out in front, followed by Services (+3.5%), Miscellaneous (+0.8%) and Landscaping (+0.2%). Timber & Joinery Products (-4.2%) and Heavy Building Materials (-2.6%) declined more than Total Merchants. Decorating slipped -1.0%, while Renewables & Water Saving (-16.4%) was the weakest category.

Paul Edworthy, Commercial Lead: Builders Merchant Group, Dulux Trade and BMBI’s Expert for Paint commented: “The paint industry was initially optimistic about the prospects for 2025, but it has been an uncertain start to the year, with global turmoil overshadowing what was predicted to be a year of recovery for UK construction and housebuilding, in particular.

“The Construction Products Association Spring Forecast noted that any uplift in overall construction outputs this year will now be very gradual – just +1.9% growth is predicted from a low base. Private housing output, still challenged by affordability constraints and weak demand, is forecast to increase by just +4.0%. The industry had hoped for better in 2025, given Government commitments to housebuilding, and RMI has also had a sluggish start.

“But the year is not a write off. According to Aviva’s How We Live report, almost seven million homeowners plan to renovate their home in 2025. Wages are rising faster than inflation, and further rate cuts are expected. However, politics at home and abroad weighed heavy on consumer sentiment.”

The Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI)

The BMBI is a brand of the BMF. The BMBI report, which is produced and managed by MRA Research, uses NiQ GfK’s Builders Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data which analyses sales out data from 88% of generalist builders’ merchants’ sales across Great Britain. The full report is on www.bmbi.co.uk.

BMBI Experts speak exclusively for their markets, explaining trends, issues and opportunities. For the latest reports, Expert comments and Round Table videos, visit www.rdr.link/dbe022

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The latest figures from the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI), published in March, reveal that builders’ merchants’ value sales were down -2.1% in January compared to the same month in 2023, with volume sales falling -3.2% and prices creeping up +1.1%. With one more trading day this year, like-for-like sales were down -6.5%.

Year-on-Year
Nine of the twelve categories sold more this year than in January 2023 with workwear and safetywear (+18.3%), landscaping (+6.2%) and decorating (+6.1%) the better performers. However, falling sales in two of the largest categories impacted overall sales: heavy building materials (-3.8%) and timber and joinery products (-6.3%).

Month-on-month
Compared to a poor December 2023, total merchant sales in January were +41.2% higher month-on-month. Volume sales were up +44.2% while prices were down -2.1%. With six additional trading days in January, like-for-like sales increased +2.7%. All categories sold more including the largest three categories: landscaping (+52.2%), timber and joinery products (+43.8%), and heavy building materials (+42.5%). Services (+19.2%) grew the least.

Rolling 12 months
Total merchant sales in the 12 months from February 2023 to January 2024 were -5.2% down on the same period the year before (February 2022 to January 2023). Volume sales were -12.9% lower and prices were up +8.8%. With two more trading days in the most recent 12-month period, like-for-like sales were -6.0% lower. Eight of the twelve categories sold more, with renewables and water saving (+20.6%) and decorating (+8.1%) the standout categories. Again, the three largest categories – heavy building materials (-3.7%), landscaping (-11.0%) and timber and joinery products (-13.9%) – sold less.

Ian Doherty, chief executive of Hexstone and the Owlett-Jaton brand, and BMBI’s expert for fastener and fixings said: “Subdued market conditions in both new construction and RMI has impacted directly on volumes in fasteners and fixings, with sales continuing to be down year-on-year. Compared to the previous two years, prices have continued to ease, with lower cost prices from the Far East and, until recently, lower shipping costs. With the majority of products being purchased in USD, the slight strengthening of GBP has also helped to keep prices down. All of these factors have contributed to a decline in the value of sales.

“However, events in the Red Sea may continue to have an impact in 2024. With the majority of shipping lines having diverted their Far East routings away from the more direct Red Sea and Suez Canal route, to the longer Cape of Good Hope route, there are impacts on cost price and supply. Shipping costs have had surcharges applied to reflect the longer passage and therefore more expensive route. But the longer route also has a marked impact on shipping capacity, and a previously 8-10 week return trip from the Far East to Europe will now take 12-14 weeks. This reduction in capacity, coupled with a growing imbalance in container availability, is resulting in shipping rates moving up which will feed into higher prices for fasteners and fixings.”

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The latest figures from the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI), published in January, reveal that builders’ merchants’ value sales were down -5.7% in November 2023 compared to the same month in 2022, with volume sales falling -12.1% and prices increasing +7.2%.

Year-on-Year
Compared to November 2022, six of the twelve categories sold more in November 2023 compared to the previous year. But falling value sales in the three largest categories contributed to an overall decline in volumes, with heavy building materials (-7.0%), landscaping (-7.4%) and timber and joinery products (-10.9%) all selling less.

Month-on-month
Total merchant sales were down -4.4% in November compared to October 2023. Volume sales decreased -7.5% and prices increased +3.4%. There was no difference in trading days. Seasonal category landscaping was the weakest (-14.2%).

Year to date
Total merchant sales in the year to date (January to November 2023) were -4.9% down on the same period in 2022. Volume sales were down -13.8% while prices rose +10.3%. With two more trading days in the most recent period, like-for-like sales were -5.7% lower. Nine of the twelve categories sold more, with renewables and water saving (+31.2%) the only standout. Again, the three largest categories – heavy building materials (-2.8%), landscaping (-12.2%) and timber and joinery products Products (-14.6%) – each sold less.

Derrick McFarland, managing director at Keystone Group UK and BMBI’s Expert for Steel Lintels said: “The last few months of 2023 offered no optimism from the continued slide in volumes compared to the previous year. We can only be hopeful that with a freeze on interest rates and inflation reducing, at some point in the future new house building and home improvements will once again stimulate or arrest the current volume slide. However, the next few months will only get more challenging before that improvement starts to ooze through.

BMBI Experts speak exclusively for their markets, explaining trends, issues and opportunities. For the latest reports, Expert comments and Round Table videos, visit www.bmbi.co.uk.  

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The latest total volume sales from Britain’s builders’ merchants reported by BMBI showed Q3 2023 volumes fell -10.5% compared to the same period in 2022. With prices rising +8.0%, total value sales were down -3.3%. There was no difference in trading days.

Jim Blanthorne, Keylite Roof Windows

Year-on-year, eight of the twelve categories sold more with Renewables & Water Saving (+27.8%) once again significantly ahead of the rest. The three largest categories all sold less: heavy building materials (-1.5%), landscaping (-7.0%) and timber & joinery products (-13.1%).

Quarter-on-quarter, total value sales dipped -1.4% in Q3 compared with April to June 2023. Volume sales dropped -2.1% and prices edged up +0.8%. With four more trading days in the most recent period, like-for-like sales were -7.5% lower in July to September compared to Q2.

Q3 results weren’t helped by September total value sales, which were -6.1% down on the same month in 2022, with no difference in trading days. Volume sales fell -13.0% while prices rose +7.8%. Value sales of the largest three categories, heavy building materials (-5.8%), landscaping (-6.7%), and timber & joinery products (-13.9%), were significantly down, although some smaller categories, tools (+7.4%), decorating (+7.3%), kitchens & bathrooms (+5.9%), plumbing, heating & electrical (+3.3%) and ironmongery (+1.7%), sold more.

Total Sales – Q3 2023 v Q3 2022

September total merchant sales were down -3.4%. Volume (-2.7%) and price (-0.7%) were also down. With one less trading day in September, like-for-like sales were +1.2% higher. Only three categories sold more: work- & safetywear (+2.7%), plumbing, heating & electrical (+2.3%) and kitchens & bathrooms (+0.8%). Seasonal category landscaping (-9.2%) contracted the most.

Jim Blanthorne, managing director of Keylite Roof Windows and BMBI’s expert for roof windows commented: “Lower market demand seems to be a result of reduced consumer confidence while relatively high interest rates and inflation levels cause many to put on hold their plans to move or improve. Quarter three therefore brought reduced activity levels which is unlikely to improve in the near term.

“One upside of lower volumes is that supply chains have now fully normalised and availability of primary raw materials and sub-components is no longer a routine concern, with the exception of a new challenge regarding timber certification.

BMBI Q3 2023 Highlight Infographic

“For the past decade, we have sourced FSC material, however most Polish forestry regions and mills have decided to terminate their FSC accreditation over frustration with new compliance requirements which have been perceived by some to be well beyond the scope of ensuring chain of custody.

“Most mills have now secured PEFC certification instead which is equally well regarded and continues to ensure that the timber we use comes from responsibly managed sources.”

BMBI Experts speak exclusively for their markets, explaining trends, issues and opportunities. For the latest reports, Expert comments and Round Table videos, visit www.bmbi.co.uk.

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