Reflecting on Quarter 3 of 2024, the UK construction industry faced a mix of challenges and opportunities. According to Glenigan (a leading construction projects information provider), planning approvals plummeted by… Read more
Political uncertainty in the build up to the Labour party’s Autumn budget, coupled with a sustained period of unsettled weather, had a negative effect on consumer confidence and merchant sales… Read more
Going into the second half, we suspected the market conditions would be a bit tougher for natural stone and porcelain paving, and a slow-down might be on the cards. We… Read more
As we navigate the evolving dynamics of the sector, while considering our budgets and plans for 2025 and beyond, the Government seems to be focussed on soundbites….300,000 houses a year… Read more
The Office for National Statistics published estimates of construction output for August 2024 this morning. Main points: • Monthly construction output is estimated to have increased by 0.4% in volume… Read more
A lot has happened since I wrote my comments for the Q1 BMBI report. We are now in the middle of another US Presidential race, waiting for a new president… Read more
Quarter two continued the subdued trading environment we saw in the first quarter, with new build and RMI housing sectors continuing to show weakness. The second quarter was in line… Read more
Spring has proven better than the previous quarter and less volatile than last year, although it remains challenging. We’re seeing increased activity from our e-commerce customers, with more people researching… Read more
After a slow start to the year, Quarter 2 brought little to cheer about. Activity levels remained subdued and the General Election created a distraction. The general consensus amongst merchants… Read more
In the second quarter, the trade paint market experienced a decline of -0.8% in the moving annual total (MAT), attributed to a notable -0.5% decrease in Q2 year-on-year volume sales…. 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.
