Sales of ironmongery, tools and joinery products all grew for builders merchants in July, according to the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI).
The report found that overall sales increased an average of 7%. Year to date sales strengthened, with the first seven months of 2017 ahead 4.3% of the same period in 2016 – up from +3.8% YTD in June.
Categories
Perhaps unsurprisingly, landscaping did well in July in the run up to summer (reaching 140.8 on the index). Ironmongery also put in a strong performance at 125.6 (up from 111.0 in July 2016).
Other category winners included tools, which reached 109.8 on the index (July 2016: 101.5), as was Timber and Joinery Products, at 116.7 (July 2016: 107.8).
One of the few categories to lose ground was Workwear and Safetywear, which fell slightly to 99.4 (July 2016: 98.6).
The BMBI Report is created by the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), MRA Marketing and using sales-out data from GfK’s General Builders’ Merchants Panel. GfK’s Builders’ Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data represents over 80% of the value of the builders’ merchant market.
More in-depth information is available to BMF members. For more details contact richard.ellithorne@bmf.org.uk