BMBI: Merchant Q3 Value Sales Down -0.1% but September is Up +4.6% Y-o-Y

The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report reveals builders’ merchants’ value sales for Q3 2025 were down -0.1% compared to Q3 2024. Volume sales were up +0.7% year-on-year, while prices were -0.8% lower. There was no difference in trading days.

Eight of the twelve categories sold more by value in Q3 2025 compared to the same quarter a year before, with Renewables & Water Saving (+6.0%) the best performing category. Of the two biggest categories, Timber & Joinery Products (+2.1%) outperformed Total Builders Merchants, while Heavy Building Materials (-1.7%) was behind. Decorating (-3.3%) was weakest.

Quarter-on-quarter builders’ merchants’ value sales for Q3 2025 were down -1.2% compared to the previous three-months (April to June 2025). Volume sales fell -1.0%, and prices eased -0.2%. By value, nine of the twelve categories sold more with Plumbing, Heating & Electrical (+3.2%) ahead of the rest. Heavy Building Materials (-1.2%) was on par with Total Merchants, but Timber & Joinery Products (+1.6%) did better. Landscaping (-13.8%) was the weakest category.

With four more trading days in the most recent quarter, Q3 like-for-like value sales were -7.3% lower than Q2.

But Quarter 3 finished with September’s total value sales up +4.6% year-on-year. Volume sales improved +5.5% and prices were -0.9% lower. Eleven of the categories sold more in terms of value, led by Renewables & Water Saving (+16.0%), Miscellaneous (+15.6%), Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+8.2%), Services (+7.1%), and both Kitchens & Bathrooms and Landscaping up +6.9%. Of the two biggest categories, Timber & Joinery Products was up +6.7%, while Heavy Building Materials (+2.6%) grew more slowly. Workwear & Safetywear (-2.9%) was the only category to sell less. With one more trading day in September 2025, like-for-like value sales were down -0.1%.

Month-on-month, September total value sales were +8.2% higher than August. Volume sales rose +9.3%, while prices fell -0.9%. All bar one category sold more by value with Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+22.1%), Miscellaneous (+17.0%), Workwear & Safetywear (+15.9%), Kitchens & Bathrooms (+13.6%), Renewables & Water Saving (+12.9%), Tools (+11.4%), Ironmongery (+10.7%) and Timber & Joinery Products (+9.2%) up significantly. With two additional trading days in September, like-for-like sales were down -1.6%.

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Year-to-date value sales January to September 2025 were +1.2% higher than the first nine months of 2024.

Mike Rigby, MD of MRA Research who produce this report, said, “September shone against an unremarkable July and torrid August, so Q3 turned out to be much of the same for Britain’s builders’ merchants, with marginal movement in values and volumes compared to both the previous quarter and the year before.

“The latest ONS data for GB construction has total output increasing by +0.1% in Q3 compared to Q2. At a sector level, four of the nine sectors grew during Q3, with private housing repair and maintenance the main contributor for growth while the biggest drag was private new housing, which fell by -1.9%. On a monthly basis, September output grew by just +0.2%.

“With construction effectively still on hold and growth in one area offset by a drop in another, getting things moving again is going to take a considerable effort against strong headwinds. After five interest rates cuts since August, the Bank of England held interest rates at 4% in November with inflation stuck at 3.8%. Unemployment increased to 5.0% and activity in the housing market slowed to a four-year low, according to RICS. Household budgets are being squeezed, and there could be more hits to come in the budget.

“The GfK Consumer Confidence barometer for October suggests people are taking the doom and gloom in their stride, with improvements in the overall index score (+2 points to -17) and the key major purchase index (+4 points to -12). However, people felt a little less confident about their finances over the coming year (-1 point to 3). A 7-point increase to the savings index (not included in the overall index) suggests that while consumers are still intending to buy big ticket items, having money in the bank is a safe strategy while the Government keeps everyone guessing.

“Once the budget is announced people can start to think more purposely about property buying and home improvements, and we can firm up our estimates of the builders’ merchant pipeline in 2026.”

Download the full report here.

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