Expert comments
Quarter 1 2026 has been exceptional, but not in ways a drainage system business might hope for! Some regions reported over 50 consecutive days of rain, making normal ground works… Read more
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Gas boilers continue to dominate the UK heating market in Q1 2026, with over 80% of UK households using gas for central heating some replacement demand is unavoidable. But sales… Read more
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UK boiler volumes were flat in Q4 2025 year on year, while heat pump installations climbed sharply. First-half 2025 gas boiler sales were up 5%. Heat pumps, though a fraction… Read more
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The fourth quarter of 2025 can be summed up as a period of, one, low activity levels, two, an abundance of caution being shown by all, and three, a rush… Read more
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As we approach the much-anticipated implementation of the Future Homes Standard (FHS), the UK residential construction sector is at a critical crossroads. The FHS mandates a 75-80% reduction in carbon… Read more
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The digital transformation of the merchant sector has been gathering pace, and this is set to go up another level in 2026, as merchants evolve and adapt to the needs… Read more
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Demand within the fasteners and fixings sector continues to mirror wider merchant trends, with the construction market experiencing its longest sustained downturn since the financial crisis. While 2025 saw a… Read more
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There can be few construction material categories that closed the 4th quarter of 2025 with a positive spin. The Heavy Building Materials segment remained in the same state of malaise… Read more
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The overall market continues to be a challenge, with impossible-to-forecast peaks and troughs. It’s been like that in recent years. Something else we can blame on Covid! Roof windows had… Read more
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The UK Trade Decorative Paint market delivered a broadly stable performance in 2025, demonstrating resilience against a backdrop of mixed economic conditions and continued pressure on construction activity. For Q4 2025,… 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.
