Builders’ Merchant Omnibus Survey: what has changed since the Grenfell fire?

New questions in December’s Builders’ Merchants Monthly Omnibus Survey reveal how builders’ merchants and their trade customers have changed the products they buy, and the advice they give or seek since the Grenfell fire.

MRA Research’s new Builders’ Merchants Monthly Omnibus Survey offers companies marketing to builders’ merchants and their customers a cost-effective, fast-turnaround insight tool. Suppliers and others can buy as few or as many questions as required with a perfectly weighted national sample, and get results in as little as two weeks, to improve their marketing. We added three questions in December’s Omnibus on Grenfell and the responses from the industry as a taster to show what an Omnibus can do.

In the past five and a half years, the Inquiry into the devasting Grenfell fire exposed much that needs to change at every level across construction. A Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) followed, and more changes are expected. Nevertheless, major housebuilders and Government are still at loggerheads over the costs and responsibility for cladding removal.

The Omnibus survey revealed that one in four merchants think Grenfell has changed attitudes in construction to fire safety and the way we build. However, 74% of builders’ merchants believe that little to nothing has changed practically since Grenfell shocked the nation.

Twenty two percent of merchants say they have changed the products they sell or the information and advice they give customers to help them build more safely following Grenfell.

But just 15% of merchants say their trade customers have changed the products they buy, the advice they seek or the way they build following Grenfell and the new CCPI.

Mike Rigby, CEO of MRA Research, says: “The Grenfell fire has barely been out of the news since June 2017, but while there has been much talk of change, there’s been little practical action. Peter Apps’ recently-published book Show Me the Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen is a really important contribution from someone who knows the industry from the inside and it’s a sobering, powerful and informative read into the tragedy and an indication of what must change.

“The questions we added to the Builders’ Merchants Monthly Omnibus Survey revealed what has changed in the industry since the fire almost six years ago.” Visit www.mra-research.co.uk/the-pulse/ to see the findings.

For information about the Builders Merchants’ Monthly Omnibus Survey, adding your own questions, sample sizes, quotas, timing and costs per question, call MRA Research’s Project Director Yvette Kirk on 07918 272936 now or email yvette@mra-research.co.uk