The latest figures from the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI), published in March, reveal that total value sales by builders’ merchants across Great Britain were 24.1% higher in January 2022 compared to the same month in 2021, the strongest year-on-year growth seen in recent months. However, it has been primarily driven by price inflation (+15.1%) rather than volume growth (+7.8%).
All bar one category sold more than in January 2021 with renewables and water saving (+35.8%), timber and joinery products (+31.5%), landscaping (+28.9%) and kitchens and bathrooms (+28.8%) outperforming merchants generally.
Compared to January 2019, a pre-pandemic year, total merchant value sales were 15.1% higher in January 2022, with two fewer trading days this year. Prices increased faster (+19.8%), while volume sales were down 3.9%. Ten categories sold more, with landscaping (+32.5%) and timber and joinery products (+31.9%) again leading the charge. Total like-for-like value sales were 26.6% higher than January 2019.
Total sales in the three months November 2021 to January 2022 were up 19.3% on the same period last year, with all categories selling more. Timber and joinery products (+29.2%) did best, while landscaping (+21.2%) and heavy building materials (+16.4%) also grew strongly. Total like-for-like sales were 17.3% higher.
Month-on-month, total merchant sales were 28.7% up in January 2022 compared to December 2021, helped by three more trading days in January. Timber and joinery products (+32.7%) performed best.
Total merchants like-for-like sales were up 9.4%.
