Builders’ merchant sales grow

The figures are contained in the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) which tracks builders’ merchants’ actual sales to builders and contractors using GfK’s Builders’ Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data.

It represents over 80% of the value of the builders’ merchants’ market. The improved April performance was helped by two extra trading days and an earlier Easter.

The plumbing, heating & electrical product sectors were top performers, gaining 22.5%, followed by workwear & safetywear (+17.7%), kitchens & bathrooms (+12.7%) and timber & joinery products (+12.6%).

Average sales a day, which take trading day differences into account, were down 2.1% on April 2017. Overall sales in April were 3.5% higher than in March, despite April having one less trading day.

However, March was affected by bad weather and included Good Friday this year, both of which held back turnover.

Seasonal category, Landscaping (+26%) saw the biggest month-on-month increase, followed by Heavy Building Materials (+4.7%).

The first four months of 2018 were up 2.5% on the same period in 2017. The rolling 12 months May 2017 to April 2018 were 4.7% above the same period a year earlier.

To view the full report visit: www.bmbi.co.uk/the-index