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The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published in October, shows builders’ merchants’ total value sales in August 2025 were down 5.0% compared to the same month a year before. Year-on-year volumes decreased 4.1% while prices were also down by 1.0%.
However, there was one less trading day in 2025; daily takings were down by just 0.3% year-on-year.
And while August’s sales were down quite markedly overall month-on-month, July had three more trading days than August. While sales volumes in August were 12.7% lower than in July, daily takings were 0.3% higher.
The overall trend is one of little growth for builders’ merchants, which is a clear indicator of activity in the building repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) sector.
For the 12 months to August 2025 total value sales were up 0.1% compared to the same period a year before. Volumes were up by 1.9% but prices decreased were down 1.8%.
If there is a trend to detect in the data, it is that people have been turning to gardening over decorating. Sales of products in the landscaping category grew by 2.3% in the year to August while decorating sales were down 2.7%. Maybe it was just the weather.
Mike Rigby, managing director of MRA Research, which produces the BMBI report for the Builders Merchant Federation (BMF), said: “August was an extra quiet month for Britain’s builders’ merchants and their builder and trade customers, with volumes down year-on-year and month-on-month. How much of the drop can be blamed on the weather and how much on hesitancy among consumers and businesses as the economic landscape looks uncertain is anyone’s guess. But 2025 has pushed the famous summer of 1976 out of the UK top five hottest summers on record. An August heatwave brought temperatures of 33.4OC in parts of England with 31.6OC the highest in Scotland. The weather was also variable and varied by region with hosepipe bans across large parts of England, while Storm Floris brought gusts of over 80mph to parts of the UK and widespread disruption in Scotland. Not ideal for external work.”
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