Numbers in the 2nd quarter of 2024 Builders Merchants Building Index (BMBI) report program another year-on-year decrease in sales, although the rate of decrease is lower than was seen in the veryfirst quarter of 2024.
Builders’ merchants’ profits in Q2 2024 were down 5.8% compared to Q2 2023, with volumes down 7.2% and costs up 1.5%. With 2 additional trading days this year, like-for-like sales (which take the number of trading days into account) were 8.8% lower.
Half of the 12 item classifications offered more in Q2 2024 than a year before, with Workwear & Safetywear up 15.6%, however the 2 biggest classifications were both down – Timber & Joinery Products by 7.4% and Heavy Building Materials by 8.4%. Renewables & Water Saving was the classification that slowed the themajorityof, down 28.5%.
Q2 profits were struck by weak sales in June, which were down 14.7% compared to June 2023 in 2023 by worth and 16.9% by volume. (Prices were up 2.7%.) With 2 less trading days in June this year, like-for-like sales were 6.2% down.
Sales of the 3 biggest classifications were all terribly down in June: Timber & Joinery Products by 15.5%, Landscaping by 16.4% and Heavy Building Materials by 17.2%.
However, profits in Q2 2024 were 9.5% up on the previous quarter (Q1) while volume sales were 13.8% greater, with costs 3.8% lower.
Across the veryfirst 6 months of 2024 profits were 6.4% down