The latest Leading Lights supplement published by Builders Merchants News in April opens with an exclusive survey by MRA Research. Merchants were interviewed for their views on industry issues and the main challenges and opportunities in 2021.The supplement also talks to a number of BMBI Experts on the impacts of Covid and Brexit, supply chain issues, and key priorities for construction as businesses and homeowners adjust to a ‘new normal’.

Last April, the UK was coming to terms with life in lockdown, which triggered immense confusion and disruption in our sector. It was a quick realisation by Government on how important construction is to the UK economy, resulting in a swift U-turn on restrictions for the industry. As construction reopened, the losses seen in Q2 were (mostly) reversed and recovered and we’ve seen the industry grow and indeed thrive as RMI became a greater focus than ever with the nation investing in their homes and embracing a work from home culture.

One of the biggest issues facing the sector is around supply, coupled with extended lead times for many materials. The impact down the supply chain and to the end-user is one of increasing costs. Another challenge on the horizon is posed by the introduction of the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) as a result of the Hackitt report ‘Building A Safer Future’. The survey revealed that 94% of merchants interviewed were unaware of CCPI and given that any merchant selling products under their own name or trademarks will be classed as a manufacturer in their own right, this represents a significant step-change in attitude needed across the sector and quickly.

Download the survey results here.

The BMBI Experts’ opinions from Leading Lights can be found here. 

For the full Leading Lights supplement, which also includes financial data on merchants and insights from other industry bodies, click here.