The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published in March, shows January’s builders’ merchant like-for-like total value sales (adjusted to remove the effect of trading days) were -2.6% lower… Read more
The Office for National Statistics published estimates of Construction Output for January 2026 this morning. Main points: • Total construction output is estimated to have fallen by 2.0% in the… Read more
Why are we making the changes? BMBI, and PHMI, readers will notice a few changes in the way we present builders’ merchant sales data in the reports. One of the… Read more
The latest Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index (PHMI) report, published in March, shows like-for-like Q4 2025 value sales, adjusted to remove the impact of trading days, were +0.7% higher than… Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
