BMBI: Merchants’ May value sales down -5.2%, as volumes fall -7.0%

The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report shows builders’ merchants’ value sales in May were down -5.2% year-on-year. Volume sales fell -7.0% and prices edged up +2.0%. With one more trading day this year, like-for-like value sales were down -9.7%.

Year-on-Year

Compared to May 2023, nine of the twelve categories performed better than Total Merchants year-on-year, with Workwear & Safetywear (+18.8%), Decorating (+3.7%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (+2.0%) faring the best. Two of the largest categories – Timber & Joinery Products (-6.9%) and Heavy Building Materials (-7.7%) – declined more than Total Merchants. Renewables & Water Saving was the weakest category (-37.1%).

Month-on-Month

May total value sales were +3.0% higher than April. Volume sales increased +2.2% and prices were marginally higher (+0.8%) month-on-month. Half of the twelve categories sold more, with two of the largest categories – Landscaping (+12.7%) and Heavy Building Materials (+3.7%) – ahead the most. Plumbing, Heating & Electrical (-5.8%) and Renewables & Water Saving (-18.4%) sales contracted the most.

Rolling 12 months

In the 12 months from June 2023 to May 2024 total merchant sales were -4.5% lower than the same period the year before (June 2022 to May 2023). Volume sales slumped -8.9% while prices rose +4.8%. With six extra trading days in the most recent 12-month period, like-for-like value sales were down -6.8%. Workwear & Safetywear (+9.5%), Decorating (+7.1%) and Miscellaneous (+5.4%) did best. But two of the three largest categories – Heavy Building Materials (-5.4%) and Timber & Joinery Products (-10.2%) – sold less.

Matt Williams, Managing Director, Polypipe Building Products and the BMBI Expert for Heating and Cooling, comments:

“At Polypipe, we are keen to ensure that plastic, as a building material, is fully understood in terms of its sustainability and usability benefits over legacy materials. Plastic, the material, often gets a bad rap, mainly due to its association with single-use plastics and their association with inadequate disposal and recycling processes.

“However, rigid plastic can in fact be a more sustainable offering than legacy and alternative materials. As a building material, rigid, engineered plastics are very long lasting and have been proven to be capable of being recycled many times over without noticeable loss of functional integrity or performance.

“One of the endless on-site debates within the residential plumbing industry is plastic versus copper. As a plumbing material, plastic offers improved health and safety due to the lack of hot works, much greater innovation in installer-friendly technology, as well as the reusability of fittings, and a greatly reduced risk of theft.”

PolyPlumb

“Ease of installation, using push-fit plastics, often translates into heavily reduced time and cost on site. Polypipe Building Products has recently relaunched the PolyPlumb range of plastic plumbing with new PolyPlumb Enhanced, now in both grey and white.

“Polypipe Building Products has the widest and deepest range of kitemarked and certified products in the UK plumbing and drainage market – and we are passionate about quality.

“We’re also currently building our portfolio of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and working towards the Code for Construction Products Information (CCPI) to meet and exceed data requirements for our customers now and in the future.

“The building industry is increasingly demanding more and better data from its manufacturers, which ultimately leads to better visibility to ensure building safety and performance.”

BMBI Experts speak exclusively for their markets, explaining trends, issues and opportunities. For the latest reports, Expert comments and Round Table videos, visit www.bmbi.co.uk.

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