The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published in April, shows February total like-for-like value sales (adjusted to remove the effect of trading days) were -4.3% lower than than the same month in 2025.
Like-for-like volume sales were down -10.6% while prices increased +7.0%.
With no difference in trading days, total unadjusted value sales were also -4.3% lower, with volumes down -10.6% and prices up +7.0%.
By value, six of the twelve categories sold more with Renewables & Water Saving increasing the most (+19.6%). Of the two biggest categories, Timber & Joinery Products (+0.3%) performed better than Total Builders Merchants, but Heavy Building Materials decreased -8.4%. Landscaping (-8.5%) was the weakest category, although it was only fractionally behind Heavy Building Materials.
Like-for-like value sales for the three months December 2025 to February 2026 were -3.3% lower than the same three-months a year before. Like-for-like volumes were down -8.2% but prices were up +5.3%. There was no difference in trading days. Timber & Joinery Products (+1.6%) performed better than Total Builders Merchants, while Heavy Building Materials (-7.2%) underperformed the category as a whole.
The BMBI is a brand of the BMF. The BMBI report, which is produced and managed by MRA Research, uses NiQ GfK’s Builders Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data which analyses sales out data from 88% of generalist builders’ merchants’ sales across Great Britain. The full report is on www.bmbi.co.uk.
