Marketing to Builders Merchants

Since the last update, there have been many changes in the sector, including mergers, acquisitions and buy-outs. This latest edition of our Builders’ Merchant Database reflects these and many other changes, including contact names, business cessations, address changes, etc. New entries have been introduced, where appropriate. All the firms which appear in the latest (April 2026) Top 20 League Table published by Professional Builders Merchant and those in the Builders Merchants Journal League Table (January 2026) have been included and notated accordingly.

In addition to the contact name, the information for each entry also includes the number of branches for each firm, the primary activity (i.e. heavyside, lightside, timber, etc.), address, telephone number, website and email address (over 73% are name-specific to buyer, the remainder being generic - info@, etc.). We have also included the social media links (where possible) for LinkedIn and Facebook.

The Market

Over the last decade, industry research has indicated that builders’ merchants have accounted for between 8.5% and 9% of the UK’s construction output and they, together with their suppliers, contribute over £40bn to the UK economy every year. Consolidation in the sector has resulted in the major groups making up an estimated 72% of the market. Overall, the merchants offer an extensive range, dominated by traditional building products. It is estimated that plumbing and drainage account for around 17%, and heating and ventilation for around 15%, with other product sectors commanding smaller shares.

Buying groups (see section below) continue to play an important role in the market, not least because it remains highly price-sensitive, being affected by product availability, and raw material and fuel costs.

According to Barbour ABI’s UK Builders’ Merchants Market Report 2024-2028 (previously published under the AMA Research brand), the UK builders’ merchants’ market was valued at £19.75 billion in 2024, with builders’ merchants accounting for approximately 80-85% of the UK’s construction material supply sector.

In March 2026, the Builders’ Merchant Building Index (BMBI) published trading data for 2025. It found that like-for-like value sales for January to December 2025 were +0.9% up on 2024. Like-for-like volume sales increased +1.9%. With one less trading day in 2025, total unadjusted sales were +0.5% higher, and volumes were up +1.5% while prices eased -1.0%.

In terms of outlook, in February 2026 MRA Reports, said that “… future growth in the general builders’ merchant market is expected to be slow and gradual between 2026 and 2030. MRA forecasts value growth of 11% over the period.”

The BMBI is a brand of the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF): it was launched and is managed by MRA Research. It provides sales comparisons for the key individual product groups, such as Heavy Building Materials, Ironmongery, Plumbing, Heating & Electrical, Kitchens & Bathrooms, etc. Separate to this, the Builders Merchants Federation publishes annual Merchant Industry Forecasts to help those involved in building materials supply to plan for the future. It is available free of charge to members and can be purchased by non-members.

The BMF is the main trade association representing builders’ merchants and their suppliers in the UK and Ireland. At the time of writing (summer 2026), current membership comprises 1,010 merchants, suppliers and associates. These companies had combined sales of £52bn and employed over 192,000 people in the building materials industry. The BMF’s 521 merchant members operate from over 5,618 branches across the UK and Ireland.

Marketing to Builders’ Merchants

Builders’ merchants represent a major target audience for construction product suppliers. In its last (2022) Construction Manufacturers Marketing Report, NBS found that its respondents ranked merchants/distributors as their third most important audience after specifiers and contractors. 

This importance is underlined by survey evidence. In its guest article for ConstructUK, entitled Seen = Sold. The Merchant Still Rules!, specialist marketing agency, Oil the Wheels, cites data showing that 83.3% of tradespeople visit a merchant branch at least once a week.

The digital effect
Online product research and selection by tradespeople has been increasing for many years now (the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this). Back in 2020, research firm L.E.K. Consulting published the results of its survey of UK contractors and trades people and said “… digital channels were already becoming ubiquitous for researching, comparing products and ordering across building product categories.” and that “... for product manufacturers, this is a significant development. No longer can they afford to rely on traditional relationships with builder’s merchants, specialist distributors and DIY stores. Now, ecommerce leaders, such as Screwfix and even Amazon, present real alternatives to physical stores ...”

Since then, this shift appears to have accelerated. In a 2026 LinkedIn post, Steve Collinge, author of the BMF/L.E.K. Consulting Builders’ Merchant Branch of the Future report (published Oct. 2025), argued that merchants increasingly need to win what he calls the “pre-branch” moment. In his commentary, he suggests that tradespeople are increasingly searching for solutions online and through AI before contacting a merchant, often making decisions about brands before they reach the branch. For product manufacturers and suppliers, this reinforces the importance of building product awareness and providing useful, searchable information that influences tradespeople before they enter the merchant’s sales process.

The changing profile of the trade customer and the implication for suppliers
The adoption of digitalisation is, no doubt, a major reason for the changing profile of the typical trade customer and is also an important consideration for the product supplier. The Builders’ Merchant Branch of the Future report identifies, in some detail, the differing attitudes to product selection, price, etc., between the older and younger tradespeople. BMF chief executive John Newcomb commented, “The report highlights the changing needs of different generations of customers. Many merchant branches are geared to serve and support a typical customer in their fifties. The internet and digitalisation have created a fundamental shift in how younger tradespeople run their business, and the merchant branch of the future must respond to reflect these changes.”

In April 2026, Growtivation surveyed builders' merchants' employees from 19 different companies to gauge the issues currently facing them. Citing product pricing and the growing influence of online shopping, the survey’s commentary said that merchant “… customers are shopping around for almost every item.” One respondent said, "Everything is now price orientated, whereas it used to be relationship based", whilst other comments indicated how customers are now willing to buy each item individually, combining online shopping with visits to different merchants to keep the cost of projects down.

For product manufacturers and suppliers, the implication of this evolving profile change amongst merchants’ customers is significant: reaching the next generation of tradespeople will require a combination of traditional merchant relationships and digital activity that can influence purchasing decisions before the customer reaches the branch.

Traditional merchant/supplier relationships

The commentary accompanying the Growtivation survey noted that product pricing becomes less important in the context of relationships between builders’ merchants and suppliers. Reliable stock availability was identified as the most important factor, with 91% of respondents including it among their top three factors for defining a strong supplier relationship. Competitive pricing ranked second, selected by 67% of respondents, while consistent communication and support for merchandising and POS were each selected by 56%.

As touched on above, the changing buying behaviour of merchant customers is an important consideration for the supplier. The survey found that 84% of the responding merchant staff said that one of the main reasons customers are most likely not to proceed with a purchase is because they have found a cheaper alternative. In order to underline this point, it’s worth recalling the above quoted merchant comment “… customers are shopping around for almost every item.” 

When asked which three factors most help them to sell products more easily in-branch, competitive pricing was the top answer, receiving 82% of votes, followed by clear, informative packaging at 71%, and point-of-sale displays at 67%.

In Oil the Wheels’ article Seen = Sold. The Merchant Still Rules!, the author, Steve Dyer, expands on the merchant-supplier relationship and why it is essential for product suppliers to focus also on the relationship between tradespeople and their merchant because getting it right can positively influence trade buying decisions.

Further reading:

• Sector Report: How Are Tradespeople Buying Tools and Materials
• Jewson Trade Trends Report 2025
• Valuing Local Independent Trade Merchants in a Digital World
• The future of eCommerce in construction

Journals, Product Directories & Other Media

Key in-print and digital journals covering the sector include Builders’ Merchants News, Professional Builders Merchant, and Builders Merchants Journal, all of which offer a range of advertising options, some of which are highlighted below. These journals will include owners, directors, purchasing and branch managers in their readerships. They are included in our downloadable database of 330+ UK construction industry journals, which, apart from identifying other relevant titles, includes media data, such as circulation, readership profiles, sales contacts, etc. In order to support the PR activities of our clients, the index also gives named editorial contacts at each of the journals, including editorial-specific email addresses. Subscribers may download the database from their My Account page.

Professional Builders Merchant (PBM) also offers a dedicated 8-page advertorial supplement to give companies the opportunity to communicate to an audience of key merchant personnel. Another service to suppliers is inclusion in its weekly e-newsletter (a solus option is also available), plus a sponsored social media post service. You can request a copy of the media pack here.

Builders Merchants Journal (BMJ) is published 12 times a year and, in addition to regular in-print advertising, it also offers advertising in its regular e-newsletter, solus e-mails, and entry in the annual BMJ Supplier Directory. You can request a copy of the media pack here.

Builders’ Merchants News (BMN) also publishes in-print and digitally, and advertising information can be accessed here.

In partnership with the Builders’ Merchants Federation, BMN also publishes the annual Top 100 Supplier Influencers to recognise excellence in individuals who work for construction product manufacturers supplying the merchant sector. The accompanying brochure offers a limited number of sponsorship/advertising opportunities.

The Builders’ Merchant Federation publishes two magazines: a quarterly membership magazine entitled One Voice, and a half-yearly magazine called P&H Voice for the plumbing and heating membership. Both are circulated to BMF members and offer advertising options. The media packs can be viewed here and here, respectively.

Product Directories

In terms of product directories, our dedicated feature provides a comprehensive index for all construction sectors, but it is worth highlighting builders’ merchant-specific ones here:

• National Merchant Buying Society Buyers’ Guide is published in both print and digital versions, and is used by merchant buyers and branch managers. Details here.

• One Place is a Product Information Management (PIM) and B2B trading platform for NMBS (see Buying Groups below) merchants and suppliers. Product and pricing data can be provided for sharing with merchants. Its supplier FAQs page suggests that free listings are obtainable through a basic package “… which allows you to provide your product data to OnePlace and in turn Merchants are able to download the data.”

• BMF Handbook & Directory is published annually in-print and digitally, and contains information on merchants and the products which they stock. For advertising information, the media pack can be viewed here.

Builders Merchant ‘Omnibus’ Research

For construction industry manufacturers and suppliers seeking to develop new markets, comprehensive research is vital and our Construction Market Research feature provides access to a comprehensive index of specialist construction research agencies.

However, for suppliers looking for smaller research insights, one of those research agencies, MRA Research, provides Builders’ Merchants Omnibus Surveys for those companies who want quick, cost-effective research to improve their marketing.

The Survey is an insight tool for suppliers and companies working in the builders’ merchant sector. Businesses marketing or selling to builders’ merchants, and, through them, to their trade and retail customers can buy questions. These questions can be anything suppliers need to know about – products or services, a campaign, brands, their own performance, support, attitudes or perceptions, merchants’ customers, or an issue critical to the industry. Questions can range from simple yes or no, to complicated scaling questions, or open-ended verbatims. Questions can be asked on behalf of a named brand or unnamed supplier. The research also allows suppliers to buy as few or as many questions as they want, with a perfectly weighted, nationally representative sample of builders’ merchants, by size, type, national or independents, and region. In as little as two weeks, companies can have the answers and analysis they need to inform a sales decision, support a buying group pitch, or just improve the effectiveness of their marketing (details here).

Selling Into Merchants – Training Course

As their supplier members will be aware, the BMF regularly runs an interactive workshop to help suppliers understand the merchant structure, and the difference between independent and national merchants. Part of the course looks at how to approach different merchant types and how buying groups affect the purchasing process. You will learn how to overcome common objections, and with whom, within a merchant, to engage in order to improve sales opportunities.

For full details of the course’s content, click here.

Exhibitions and Awards

There are over 180 construction exhibitions detailed in our UK Construction Exhibitions Index, but it is worth highlighting the National Painting and Decorating Show and the National Merchant Buying Society Exhibition, the latter of which is a dedicated and key event in the independent merchant buyer's calendar. There are also the Toolfair and ProBuilderLive regional events throughout the year. Screwfix Live takes place each year and typically presents over 200 brands.

Finally, the InstallerSHOW describes itself as the largest gathering of heat, water, air and energy manufacturers under one roof. InstallerSHOW 2026 received over 40,000 visitors and 900+ exhibitors. Access the exhibiting brochure here (ConstructUK is a media partner to InstallerSHOW).

The Builders’ Merchants Federation hosts an annual Conference and Awards event. The conference has an exhibition area for suppliers, and sponsorship opportunities are available for the awards. The BMF events page can be found here.

In August 2026 the BMF announced the launch of the Data Yard Data Excellence Award to recognise those suppliers leading the way in product data. See Merchants’ Product Data Template section below.

The sector also has a number of other awards offering suppliers promotional opportunities through sponsorship. These include the Builders Merchants Awards and the BMJ Industry Awards. Our comprehensive list of industry awards ceremonies which offer sponsorship opportunities can be viewed separately here.

Merchants’ Product Data Template

In a major step towards product data standardisation across the building materials industry, the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) launched a universal product data template, which can be used by all manufacturers and merchants.

Product data standardisation is the key to removing inefficiencies in transferring information across the building materials supply chain. The product data template has been specifically designed to help eliminate the problem of inconsistent data content and format requests, thus saving time, effort and cost.

In 2025 Data Yard was formally launched creating a centralised, digital platform for seamless product data exchange within the building materials sector and to provide an industry-owned resource containing high-quality, e-commerce-friendly information on hundreds of thousands of products. For product suppliers and manufacturers, the platform provides many advantages, including the ability to reach more customers and removing the need to send the same data to every merchant. Also it can help them to stay ahead of compliance in light of legislation like the Building Safety Act and initiatives like the Golden Thread and CCPI which are making product data an operational and legal priority. Full details of Data Yard can be found here.

In August 2026 the BMF announced the launch of the inaugural Data Yard Data Excellence Award to recognise those suppliers leading the way in product data. The press release can be found here.

Merchant Buying Groups Index

Independent builders’ merchants are often members of buying groups or consortiums, which offer them commercial advantages. The following are such groups:

Allied Merchants Buying Association (Ireland)

Email: info@alliedmerchants.ie

Web: https://alliedmerchantsireland.com/wp/allied-merchants/

Contact name: Keith Giblin, Chief Executive Officer

Notes: Merchant buying group in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with 23 members, comprising 193 branches.

ANEW (Associated National Electrical Wholesalers)

Tel: +44 (0) 1438 750075

Email: office@anew.co.uk

Web: https://www.anew.co.uk/

Contact name: Samantha McFall, Chief Executive Officer

Notes: Independent electrical buying group with a nationwide network of over 250 branches.

AWEBB – The Electrical Network

Tel: +44 (0) 29 2240 2443

Email: info@awebb.org.uk

Web: https://awebb.org.uk

Contact name: Mark Lambert, Chief Executive Officer

Notes: Electrical products purchasing consortium with over 200 branches across the UK and Ireland.

Fegime UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1455 556822

Email: via website

Web: http://fegime.co.uk/

Contact name: Alan Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer

Notes: Electrical wholesalers & distributors across UK (also Europe). Also publishes comprehensive Electrical Product Guide.

FORTIS Merchants Ltd

Email: via website

Web: https://www.fortismerchants.co.uk/

Contact name: Will O'Meara, Director of Operations

Notes: 39 member companies across the UK (approx 450 branches).

H&B Group

Tel: +44 (0) 1923 677724

Email: via LinkedIn

Web: https://www.linkedin.com/company/h&b-buying-group-llp/

Contact name: Richard Baldry Managing Director

Home Hardware

Tel: +44 (0) 1271 326222

Email: enquiries@homehardware.co.uk

Web: https://homehardware.co.uk/

IBC - Independent Buying Consortium

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3195 7957

Email: Via website

Web: https://www.ibcbuyinggroup.com/suppliers-2-2/

Contact name: Paul Read, Chief Commercial Officer

Notes: Comprises more than 220 members in 300 locations across the UK. Offers services to help supplier members gain brand recognition, including: inclusion and links from IBC website, distribution of point-of-sale material, networking opportunities, joint marketing campaigns, and merchant visits.

IPG – (Independent Plumbing Group)

Tel: +44 (0) 1903 771699

Email: Via website

Web: https://www.the-ipg.co.uk/

Contact name: Stuart Gibbs, Supplier & Product Data Coordinator

Notes: IPG is a group for local, independent bathroom showrooms and plumbing and heating merchants. Membership comprises over 200 plumbing, heating, and bathroom stores nationwide.

National Buying Group

Email: Via website

Web: https://www.nationalbuyinggroup.com/

Contact name: Mark Hughes, Managing Director

Notes: Comprising over 90 members accounting for 300 branches. Supplier members can attend the NBG annual conference.

National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS)

Tel: +44 (0) 116 253 0531

Email: nmbs@nmbs.co.uk

Web: https://www.nmbs.co.uk/

Contact name: Andy Hextall, Commercial Director

Notes: Comprising more than 1,300 members, the NMBS is the UK’s largest buying group for independent builders, plumbing and heating, timber, and hardware merchants. It operates the annual NMBS exhibition (see above). In 2021, NMBS announced the launch of its Product Information Management system, as part of its OnePlace B2B trading platform, which allows suppliers to upload data for their whole product range in one central location. Merchants can then view this data on the platform to help research and choose which products to stock, as well as to fulfil their own customer orders. See Directories section above.

PHG Plumbing Heating Group

Email: enquiries@phg.uk.com

Web: https://www.phg.uk.com/

Contact name: Chris Edwards Product Manager

Notes: Specialist plumbing, heating and bathroom buying group with 15 members accounting for 308 branches and showrooms.

SMG (for flooring)

Tel: +44 (0) 118 932 3832

Email: info@smg-group.co.uk

Web: https://www.smg-group.co.uk/

Notes: 350 members.

The Merchant’s Choice

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8050 5277

Email: info@themerchantschoice.com

Web: https://www.themerchantschoice.com/

Contact name: Alan Greene, Founder

Notes: Specialist plumbing, heating and bathroom buying group.

Topline Group (Ireland)

Tel: +353 (0) 45 876 406

Email: info@topline.ie

Web: https://toplinegroup.ie

Contact name: Fergal McKeown, Buying Director

Notes: Leading DIY/ building materials buying group in Ireland, with over 90 affiliated members operating more than 160 branches.