The Pulse: Forget the gloomy forecasts. Merchants are full of confidence.
Most economists are forecasting a shallow and relatively short recession, and technically we still seem to be on the brink of recession.
But whatever forecasts say, based on what builders’ merchants are experiencing, sales expectations continue to build, with merchants across the country expecting growth.
Inflation-driven supplier price rises and squeezed margins remain significant problems for merchants, but market confidence has improved from a low point mid-2022 and is back in positive territory. Confidence in the prospects for their own business is significantly stronger.
The Pulse, by MRA Research, is a monthly tracking survey of merchants’ confidence and prospects. Telephone interviewing took place between 1st and 2nd February 2023 (2 working days).
The Pulse is a monthly trends survey that tracks builders’ merchants’ confidence and prospects over time and is produced by MRA Research, the market research division of MRA Marketing. View all reports here.
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