Figures have revealed an increase in builders merchants sales during the second quarter of the year…
Data from the GfK’s Builders Merchants Panel showed sales were up during the second quarter of 2015.
Compared to Q1, sales were up by 12.8 per cent. Total sales-out reached £1.36bn. This was an increase from £1.2bn.
Figures were driven by the sales of landscaping products, which were up 62.4 per cent. Heavy building materials saw a rise of 13.5 per cent.
While builders merchant sales fell during April and May, there was an increase in June with values up 12 per cent from the previous month.
June was also the largest trading month by total sales value since the panel was started last year. However, May saw the highest revenue average per trading day at £22.6m when compared to the last 12 months. Comparatively, April came in second at £22.4m, with June trailing in third place at £21.85m. The three months in the second quarter of this year have outperformed the previous nine months.
Additionally, the UK’s generalist builders merchants generated ex-VAT annual sales of £5.1bn.
The GfK’s Builders Merchant data was also utilised and combined with statistics from the Builders Merchant Federation (BMF). This report, the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI), will now be produced monthly and will be a source for market trends in the sector.
BMF Managing Director John Newcomb said: “This is a milestone moment. The figures for Q2 2015 complete first year’s data from the Builders Merchants Panel and shining a light on these statistics instantly reveals some interesting trends aiding our understanding of the market.
“This will continue to improve as we add to the data each month and begin to track year-on-year performance and it made sense to combine this with our own longstanding tracking data, BMF Sales Indicators, in one authoritative report as the Builders Merchants Building Index.
“Unlike data from other sources, which tends to be based on estimates, or sales from the supplier into the supply chain, this valuable up-to-date data reflects actual sales to builders and other trades and comes from the BMF as the authoritative voice of the industry.
“Looking forward, the outlook is promising for builders merchants sales, with consumer confidence at its highest since 2000, property transactions returning to pre-recession levels and the Government’s pledge to build more homes and speed up the application process to do so.”
