The latest figures from the Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index (PHMI) report show total value sales for July 2024 through specialist plumbing and heating merchants were up +4.7% compared to… Read more
The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published in September, shows builders’ merchants’ value sales in July edged up +0.9% compared to the same month in 2023. There was… Read more
The Office for National Statistics published estimates of construction output for July 2024 this morning. • Monthly construction output is estimated to have decreased 0.4% in volume terms in July… 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
Demand in the fastener and fixings sector has mirrored the general trends across merchants, with soft demand driven by the sluggish levels of construction and RM&I activity. With the majority… Read more
As predicted, Q2 has been a vast improvement on Q1 for cement and aggregate sales, as demand moves in line with what we’d normally expect to see. The latest market… 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.
