The latest figures from the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI), published in June, reveal that total value sales by builders’ merchants across Great Britain were down -9% in April 2023 compared to the same month in 2022.
Volume fell -20.2% with price inflation of +14%. Taking trading day differences into account, like-for-like sales were -4% lower as April 2023 had one fewer trading day than the same month in 2022.
Seven of the 12 BMBI product categories sold more this year than in April 2022. Renewables and water saving (+55.4%) was the strongest performing category by some margin, followed by decorating (+8.3%) and plumbing, heating and electrical (+5.3%). Timber joinery products (-20.6%) and landscaping (-23.3%) both sold less.
Total sales in the three months February 2023 to April 2023 were down -5.2% compared to the same period last year, with price inflation of +15.1%, and volume down -17.6%. Nine of the 12 categories sold more with renewables and water saving (+44.9%) clearly out in front. Timber and joinery products (-17.2%) and landscaping (-21.4%) were the two weakest categories.
Month-on-month, total merchant sales were down -12.7% in April compared to March 2023. Volume sales were down -11.9% with prices registering a small decline (-0.9%). But with five fewer trading days in April, like-for-like value sales were up +11.6%. Landscaping (+3.3%) was the only category to sell more. Timber and joinery (-15.7%) sales were down, while plumbing, heating and electrical (-22.6%) and work wear and safety wear (-26.7%) were the worst performing categories.
