The figures were released by the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) and were compared with a year earlier.
Sales of heavyside products, including timber, bore the brunt of the decrease (3.4% down), while lightside dipped by only 0.1%.
The regional picture was mixed, with Greater London and the south-east faring the best during the period (up 1.9% and 2.2% respectively). The east Midlands and Scotland recorded the weakest performance (-10.6% and -9.3% respectively).
“The BMF’s February sales indicators reflect adjustments for differences in trading days and for product inflation which are currently deflating the results,” said BMF secretary Peter Matthews.
“There are also strong local variations and many regions are experiencing much better trading conditions than the national figure implies.”
