Image: Wasan Tita/Shutterstock
The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report reveals that builders’ merchants’ value sales were up +14.8% in May 2022 compared to the same month in 2021, driven more by rising prices (+17.8%) than volume sales (-2.5%) year-on-year.
All categories sold more in May 2022 compared to the previous year, with Kitchens & Bathrooms increasing the most (+29.7%). Six other categories fared better than merchants overall including Plumbing, Heating & Electrical (+21.6%), Heavy Building Materials (+20.6%) and Decorating (+16.5%). Tools (+11.9%), Ironmongery (+11.3%), Timber & Joinery Products (+6.8%) and Landscaping (+5.1%) grew more slowly. Like-for-like sales, which take into account the extra trading day in May 2022, were 9.1% higher.
Compared to May 2019, a more normal pre-pandemic year, total merchant value sales were 23.9%…
