Year-on-year

Total Builders’ Merchant value sales to builders and contractors in January 2020 were down -2.6% compared to January 2019.

Seven categories sold less, with Timber & Joinery Products (-7.0%) weakest, followed by Tools (-6.1%) which had its lowest average sales a day since BMBI data was first recorded in July 2014. Heavy Building Materials (the largest category) was down -2.7%. However, five categories did do better over the same period, including Workwear & Safetywear (+7.3%) and Landscaping (+3.9%).

Month-on-month

Sales between January and December are always affected by a significant difference in the number of trading days (22 in January 2020 and 15 in December 2019). As a result, total January sales were up +34.4%. However average sales a day provides a more meaningful comparison, with January down -8.4% compared to December. Kitchens & Bathrooms (-14.0%) and Decorating (-12.4%) were particularly low.

Other periods

Sales in the 12 months February 2019 to January 2020 were down -0.5% on the same period a year earlier, with one less trading day. Four categories sold less: Tools (-6.7%), Timber & Joinery Products (-2.0%), Plumbing Heating & Electrical (-0.8%) and Heavy Building Materials (-0.7%). The eight categories selling more over this period included Landscaping (+2.9%), Workwear & Safetywear (+2.5%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (+1.8%).

Index

January’s BMBI index was 105.3, with one additional trading day. Nine categories exceeded 100, with seasonal category Plumbing, Heating & Electrical (128.9) doing best. Workwear & Safetywear (119.9) and Ironmongery (118.4) also performed well. Landscaping (90.5) was one of only three categories below 100.