There has been more to cheer about in Q2 for the natural stone and paving sector. Sales were given a boost thanks to some better weather and also the Euro’s, which encouraged people to spend more time outdoors and get their gardens in order. Steady demand over Q2 has put us on par with our 2023 performance at the halfway point in the year, but it’s going to be a difficult H2.

The end of Q2 saw many suppliers going out with price rise notifications to come into effect in August. The reason behind the increases is the ongoing shipping issues which are making it increasingly costly to bring product into the UK. The routes ships need to take to avoid the Red Sea mean they are on the water for longer, so there is less shipping capacity and more containers at sea at any one time. As a result, the cost per container doubled to $4,500 between April and August.

Skyrocketing shipping prices represents big challenges for importers and merchants alike. No-one wants to buy in masses of product at a higher price, knowing shipping prices will fall in the future. But similarly, operating a buy to order model puts pressure on an already stretched supply chain. Our recommendation is for merchants to buy in good amounts of stock and be prepared for shortages on certain lines.

In terms of products, the market has continued to move towards lighter, neutral colours like cream, light grey and greige in 2024, while dark grey sales continue to decline. There is growing interest in premium feature products, such as cladding for walling or steps, and mosaic paving to highlight different spaces like an alfresco dining area.

As we move into Q3, there could be a slow down in demand on the cards. The new Government is ushering in many unknowns which could negatively impact the UK’s RMI customer base. People don’t know if they will be better or worse off until after the Autumn Budget and we are hearing anecdotally from landscapers that higher value jobs are being put on hold until the picture becomes clear. Hopefully the Chancellor’s red box will contain some good news for the sector.