profile
Paul Edworthy
Paul joined Cuprinol Ltd in 1997 prior to its acquisition by ICI paints in 1998 and subsequently AkzoNobel in 2008. Starting as a Retail Merchandiser, he quickly progressed to Regional Sales Manager and then was promoted to National Account Manager prior to moving to the Trade side of the business in 2007, managing Regional Builders Merchants and Travis Perkins, with the past eight years responsible for Brewers Decorator Centres. Paul now holds the position of Commercial Lead – Builders Merchant Group, responsible for contributing sales in excess of £60 million. In 2016, we launched the Dulux Academy to provide decorators, merchants and suppliers accredited training and event facilities. It soon became a ‘BMF Regional Centre of Excellence’.
Dulux Trade
AkzoNobel, is a global company which creates paints and performance coatings for industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company is active in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 33,000 people. Sales in 2021 were EUR 9.6 billion.
Dulux Trade is the home of painting and decorating excellence, falling under the brand umbrella of AkzoNobel, which includes other leading brands including Cuprinol UK, Polycell UK and Hammerite UK. The range of 4,000 colours and encyclopaedia of trade paint, along with expert help makes Dulux Trade the first choice for decorators and specifiers. More than any other brand, Dulux is widely recognised as a market leader by which others are measured.
Visit: https://www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk.
Follow @DuluxTrade
Launched in 2015, the award winning monthly Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report is the only reliable measure of repair, maintenance & improvement (RMI) activity in the UK. Filling an important gap, it can be widely used in construction, and by economists, Government, national media, commentators and influencers outside the industry.
Dulux Comment: Q4 2024
The paint market in the fourth quarter of 2024 presented a mixed bag of performance indicators, reflecting the broader trends in the construction industry and consumer behaviour.
Trade paint ended the year with a -1.6% decline compared to 2023. This downturn was largely attributed to the continued low activity in new house builds, which has been a drag on the market for the past two years. The anticipation, however, is that activity will pick up in the second half of the year, with Glenigan data showing a one-third increase in planned housing project starts.
The masonry market stood out with a robust +7% year on year growth. However, this positive trend was offset by challenges in the emulsion market, particularly in quarter two, where reduced new house building led to a shortfall in volumes. As new build activities increase, the expectation is that the emulsion market will see corresponding improvements.
In contrast, premium product volumes continued to grow, outperforming the broader market. This segment remains resilient, driven by uses in RMI (Repair, Maintenance, and Improvement) projects in both commercial spaces like hotels and in domestic dwellings. This resilience underscores the ongoing consumer demand for higher-quality paint products, even in a challenging market environment.
Looking forward, there are promising signs for the paint market. A recent survey indicated that 75% of Brits plan to spruce up their homes in the new year. This positive sentiment towards home decoration is likely to have a halo effect on total trade paint demand. Additionally, the Construction Products Association (CPA) forecasts growth in the UK construction industry for 2025, which should further support the paint market’s recovery.
In summary, while the paint market faced some headwinds in Q4 2024, the outlook for 2025 appears more optimistic, driven by anticipated increases in construction activities and positive consumer sentiment towards home decoration.