The Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published in March, shows total value sales in January were up, with the strongest year-on-year growth in recent months.
However, increases have been driven by price inflation (+15.1%) rather than volume growth (+7.8%).
Total value sales were 24.1% higher in January 2022 compared to the same month in 2021.
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Renewables & Water Saving (+35.8%), Timber & Joinery Products (+31.5%), Landscaping (+28.9%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (+28.8%) all outperformed the merchants generally.
Compared to January 2019, a pre-pandemic year, total merchant value sales were 15.1% higher in January 2022, with two less trading days this year.
Ten of the 12 categories sold more including Timber & Joinery Products (+31.9%), Landscaping (+32.5%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (+11.4%).
Total sales in the three months from November 2021 to January 2022 were up 19.3% on the same period last year, with all categories selling more.
Timber & Joinery Products (+29.2%) did best, while Kitchens & Bathrooms (+17.9%) and Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+14.6%) also grew strongly. Total like-for-like sales were 17.3% higher.
Month-on-month total merchant sales were 28.7% up in January 2022 compared to December 2021, helped by three more trading days in January. Kitchens & Bathrooms (+25.7%) also performed well.
BMBI is a brand of the Builders’ Merchants Federation and uses GfK Builders Merchants Point of Sale Tracking Data, which analyses sales out, from over 80% of generalist builders merchants across Great Britain.