Q4 was third best quarter ever for builders’ merchants, according to BMBI
23 February 2022Total value sales data from Britain’s builders’ merchants shows Q4 2021 recorded the third-highest quarterly BMBI sales ever, rounding off a record-breaking year for merchants.
However, with growth driven exclusively by pricing – not volume – the figures suggest the 2021 trade boom has inevitably slowed. Q4 total value sales were 14.7% higher than Q4 2020, with no difference in trading days.
All categories sold more. Timber & Joinery Products was out in front (+28.2%), follow by Landscaping (+14.4%). Heavy Building Materials (+11.1%), Kitchens & Bathrooms (+10.0%) and Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+9.6%) grew more slowly.
Comparing Q4 2021 with Q4 2019, a more normal pre-Covid year, total value sales were 21% higher with the benefit of one more trading day. Nine of the twelve categories sold more, including Timber & Joinery Products (+44.4%) and Landscaping (+40.6%).