The Office for National Statistics published estimates of construction output for January 2024 this morning. • Construction output is estimated to have decreased 0.9% in the three months to January… Read more
Quarter 4 2023 will be remembered as the period when house building activity hit a low and bounced back. There was a continuing dearth of housing starts following a stock… Read more
Quarter 4 accurately reflected a year which has been preciously short of good economic news for the UK in general and for the construction sector in particular. The effect of… Read more
Given the current employment shortage crisis in the building materials supply sector, there is a growing need to give tradespeople the power to self-serve. With a shortage of skills and… Read more
Our Technical teams have been studying the newly released Future Homes Standard consultation document, which states that roof windows must achieve a U Value of 1.2 W/m2K, significantly lower than… Read more
At the end of 2023 the trade paint market stood at 1.5% growth year-on-year, after mostly flat Q4 volume sales. In contrast, the trade woodcare market attained growth of 9%… Read more
The subdued market conditions seen in Q2 and Q3 have continued through into Q4, with both new construction and RM&I down year-on-year. This has impacted directly on volumes in fasteners… Read more
It was a subdued end of the year for the Cement and Aggregates market, as mild but wet conditions left sales quieter than expected in Q4 and for 2023 as… Read more
Usually, I begin with a word on the numbers. A general view, and a more granular look at some of the data that relates to mineral wool insulation. Merchants don’t… Read more
A challenging landscape lies ahead in 2024 for our industry once again as the ongoing subdued economic backdrop continues to dent consumer confidence. Operating costs in conjunction with fixed price… 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.
