The latest Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index (PHMI) report, published in November, shows total value sales through specialist Plumbing & Heating merchants were +2.6% higher in Q3 2023 compared to… Read more
Compared to the same period in 2022, Q3 2023 total volume sales to builders and trades fell -10.5% from Britain’s Builders’ Merchants. Value sales were down -3.3%, as prices rose… Read more
With the house building market in a particularly difficult position, performance in Q3 has been challenging for its suppliers, with volumes relatively flat. Consumer confidence improved throughout Q3 but in… Read more
The third quarter of 2023 has continued in the same theme set by the first two quarters of the year, with the typically busy months quiet and the reverse for… Read more
The 2023 edition of the LBM 100 survey by LBM Journal, demonstrated an impressive escalation in a conventionally conservative industry. 2022 marked a significant milestone, with 40% of merchants embracing… Read more
Like all manufacturers in our sector, Keylite is feeling the effects of lower market demand. This is driven by low consumer confidence while relatively high interest rates and inflation levels… Read more
At the end of Q3 the trade paint market stood at 1% growth year-on-year adjusted for working days. Despite fluctuating weather, the woodcare market has grown by 7% year-on-year (based… Read more
As expected, the volume downturn seen in the second quarter has continued as the construction and RM&I sectors continue to be sluggish. Reduced manufacturing costs in the Far East, together… Read more
It’s a tough market for aggregates right now and this was reflected in Q3’s subdued performance. Trading was much harder than expected and the seasonal uplift we would normally expect… Read more
Construction confidence has taken a battering of late, with geopolitical instability picking up even as interest rate rises have slowed. Despite this mixed picture, the market outlook for insulation remains… Read more
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.
