It was a challenging third quarter for merchants selling PVC-U windows and doors, possibly linked to a slowdown in consumer confidence: quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year enquiry levels were well down. Nevertheless,… Read more
Overall BMBI reports growth of around 7% on the previous year when adjusted for trading days. But taking price inflation into account we get a more accurate picture of the… Read more
Timber and Panel Products had a slow start to the third quarter of 2017, but enquiry levels improved as we moved into September and the improvement is continuing in Q4…. Read more
The market for metal rainwater was up around 7% in value in quarter three, compared to the previous quarter, boosted by price inflation from rising raw material costs and exchange… Read more
Taking a broader look at the UK construction market, not just through builders’ merchants, the latest report by the Mineral Products Association shows demand for heavy-side construction products fell in… Read more
While we welcome the reported increase in sales in the BMBI report, we should be cautious. Value is up, but when you factor in double-digit inflation, overall volume – while… Read more
Quarter three 2017 sales compared with the same period in 2016 are slightly skewed as a result of merchants purchasing ahead last year to beat late summer price increases. The… Read more
The housing crisis rages on. Low supply is hamstringing first-time buyers’ ability to get on the ladder and as a result it’s garnering even larger political focus. Ahead of the… Read more
Brexit continues to cast a shadow of uncertainty over Britain’s future. In the short term independent builders’ merchants’ markets are holding out well. Longer term it may be a different… Read more
The primary sectors of demand for facing bricks are private housing and RMI and both appear set to progress strongly. Builders’ merchants’ brick sales remain strong, the volume of bricks… 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.
