After a near total shutdown in April 2020, confused Government messaging meant it took time for the industry to understand it was deemed essential and to get back to work. As a result, Total Builders’ Merchants’ sales in May 2020 were almost 40% below May 2019. Against this background, May 2021 sales show significant growth compared with last year – although not reaching the dizzying levels seen last month. This report includes comparisons with 2019, to put May’s performance into context.
Year-on-Year
Total Builders Merchants May 2021 value sales were up 79.6% in May compared with the same month last year, with no difference in trading days. All categories sold more. Tools (+180.0%) did best, having been the weakest category in May 2020. Six of the remaining 11 categories more than doubled their sales this year, including Kitchens & Bathrooms (+154.9%), Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+118.1%) – both of which were particularly weak in May 2020 – and Timber & Joinery Products (+115.1%). Four categories did less well than Total Merchants, including Heavy Building Materials (+63.8%), Landscaping (+44.5%) and weakest category Workwear & Safetywear (+43.9%).
May 2021 v May 2019
Compared with two years ago, Total Merchants sales were up 7.9% in May 2021, with two less trading days this year. Only three of the twelve categories sold more, led by Timber & Joinery Products (+28.1%) and Landscaping (+26.5%). The remaining nine categories sold less, including Tools (-5.0%), Plumbing Heating & Electrical (-5.4%) and Decorating (-6.8%). Average sales a day were 19.3% higher overall, with all categories other than Miscellaneous (-0.1%) selling more.
Month-on-Month
Total sales in May were 6.1% lower than in April, with one less trading day this month. All categories sold less. Six categories did better than Total Merchants, with Timber & Joinery Products and Kitchens & Bathrooms doing best, although both down by -1.8%. Landscaping (-14.2%) was weakest. Average sales a day in May were 1.2% lower than April.
Last three months, year on year
Total sales in March to May 2021 were 110.6% higher than the same three months in 2020, helped by one more trading day this year. Tools (+179.7%) was strongest, followed by Timber & Joinery Products (+147.3%) and Landscaping (+130.8%). Only four categories failed to at least double their sales this year, with Workwear & Safetywear (+30.7%) having the smallest growth. Average sales a day across all merchants were 107.2% higher.
Last 3 months v 2019
Total Builders Merchants sales in March to May 2021 were 17.5% higher than the same three months in 2019, with no difference in trading days. Landscaping (+50.3%) did best, with Timber & Joinery Products (+33.5%) also doing well. Most categories were ahead, though less strikingly, including Heavy Building Materials (+9.9%) Ironmongery (+7.4%) and Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+0.7%). Only Kitchens & Bathrooms (-2.4%) sold less this year.
Year to date
In the first five months of 2021, Total Merchants sales were 54.9% up on January to May 2020, with one less trading day this year. All categories sold more. Landscaping (+82.9%) has been strongest this year, followed by Timber & Joinery Products (+78.8%) and Tools (+68.4%). Heavy Building Materials (+45.3%), Kitchens & Bathrooms (+41.8%) and Decorating (+38.4%). Workwear & Safetywear (+12.5%) grew less strongly. Average sales a day were up 56.4%.
Year to date v 2019
Looking back two years, sales in the first five months of 2021 were a remarkable 9.7% up on January to May 2019, with two less trading days this year. Overall growth was driven by Landscaping (+38.3%) and Timber & Joinery Products (+22.8%). Six categories increased less, including Workwear & Safetywear (+9.5%), Heavy Building Materials (+3.5%) and Tools (+0.4%). The remaining four categories sold less, with Kitchens & Bathrooms (-5.3%) weakest. Average sales a day were up 11.9%.
MAT
Overall sales in the 12 months June 2020 to May 2021 were 20.8% higher than in the same 12 months a year earlier, with two more trading days in the most recent period. All categories sold more. Landscaping (+48.4%) had the highest growth over the past 12 months., with Timber & Joinery Products (+31.2%) also strong. Ten categories grew more slowly, including Tools (+17.9%), Heavy Building Materials (+16.5%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (+8.5%). Average sales a day were up 19.8% overall.
Index
May’s BMBI index was 141.4, with two less trading days. Nine of the twelve categories exceeded 100. Seasonal category Landscaping (220.5) was significantly ahead, with Timber & Joinery Products (173.2) the second-strongest. These were the only two sectors that out-performed Total Merchants. Heavy Building Materials (128.6), Ironmongery (127.0) and Plumbing Heating & Electrical (112.9) were among seven categories having lower growth. Tools (98.2), Workwear & Safetywear (95.8) and Renewables (72.7) fell back. May’s average sales a day BMBI index was 154.4.
