Builders’ Merchant value sales virtually flat in July (+0.1%) year-on-year but volumes up +0.6%.
The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published in September, shows builders’ merchants’ total value sales in July 2025 were virtually flat (+0.1%) compared to July 2024. Year-on-year volumes increased +0.6% while prices fell -0.6%. There was no difference in trading days.
Eight of the twelve categories sold more in terms of value compared to July last year. Renewables & Water Saving (+3.7%), Timber & Joinery Products (+2.6%), Kitchens & Bathrooms (+1.8%) and Services (+1.7%) were the best performing categories. Heavy Building Materials (-1.1%) Decorating (-3.9%) and Workwear & Safetywear (-5.3%) were the weakest.
Value sales in July were +5.8% higher than in June. Month-on-month, volume sales were up +5.4% and prices were up +0.4%. All categories’ value sales increased with Miscellaneous (+11.3%), Services (+9.0%), Tools (+8.9%), Decorating (+7.4%), Timber & Joinery Products (+6.9%), Heavy Building Materials (+6.3%) and Ironmongery (+6.0%) ahead the most. Landscaping (+0.6%) grew more slowly. With two extra trading days in July, like-for-like value sales (which take trading day differences into account) were -3.4% lower.
Total value sales in the 12 months from August 2024 – July 2025 were flat (0.0%) compared to the previous 12-month period (August 2023 – July 2024). Volume sales increased +1.7% but prices decreased -1.7%. Seven categories sold more by value, with Services (+3.7%), Tools (+3.3%) and Landscaping (+2.6%) doing best. Of the two biggest categories, Heavy Building Materials’ (0.0%) performance was on a par with Total Builders Merchants, while Timber & Joinery Products (-1.1%) fell behind. Renewables & Water Saving (-3.9%) was the weakest category. With one less trading day this year, like-for-like value sales were +0.4% higher.
Total value sales year-to-date (January to July 2025) were up +1.6% compared to the first seven months of 2024.
Mike Rigby, Managing Director of MRA Research which produces the BMBI report says: “Summer 2025 might have been the hottest on record, but good weather did not translate into additional value sales for Britain’s builders’ merchants, with only marginal sales value growth reported for July compared to the previous year. Volumes did increase +0.6% but prices fell -0.6%, cancelling out the improvement.
“The latest ONS construction output statistics are also relatively flat, with output for July estimated to have grown by just +0.2%. This came from an increase in new work (+0.3%) as repair and maintenance was flat (0.0%). In the three months to July 2025, however, private housing repair and maintenance (+3.8%) was the main contributor to total growth of +0.6%, providing more positive news for merchants.
“With a less than convincing first half performance, many of us will be looking to see whether consumer confidence can help gee up the economy in the latter half of the year and boost RMI and new build sales. The long-running Consumer Confidence index from GfK showed a +2-point increase in the overall index to -17 in August, with positive sentiments about personal finances over the past 12 months (+3 points to -4) and over the coming year (+3 points to 5). The major purchase index also climbed 2 points to -13. Whether that optimism can survive regular talkdowns in the consumer media is another matter.
“A low growth economy that feels flat, the abrupt loss of a deputy prime minister and sacking of Britian’s ambassador to the US, a bigger than expected cabinet reshuffle, civil unrest, strikes, expectations of an autumn tax-raising budget, and outspoken Labour backbenchers asking is their Prime Minister up to it, are unsettling both business and consumers. Unsettled and worried consumers tend to hold fire on major purchases and spend less wherever they can.
“From an industry perspective, we hope that as leadership contenders position themselves to replace Starmer, the Government remembers to prioritise growth and holds to its promise to build 1.5million homes and knows how to achieve both.”
Set up and run by MRA Research, the BMBI – a brand of the Builders Merchants Federation – is a monthly index of builders’ merchant sales, and the most reliable, up-to-date measure of Repair, Maintenance, and Improvement (RMI) activity in the UK. The index is based on actual sales from GfK’s Builders’ Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data, which captures value sales out to builders from generalist builders’ merchants, accounting for 88% of total sales from builders’ merchants throughout Great Britain. An in-depth review, which includes commentary by sector experts, is provided each quarter.
July’s BMBI report is available to download at www.bmbi.co.uk.
