Builders and Plumbers Merchants Market - UK 2009-2013

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION 7

2. SUMMARY & FUTURE PROSPECTS 8

• 2.1 SUMMARY 8
• 2.2 FUTURE PROSPECTS 10

3. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 12

• 3.1 GDP 12
• 3.2 INFLATION & INTEREST RATES 13
• 3.3 UNEMPLOYMENT 14
• 3.4 HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION 14
• 3.5 STERLING 15
• 3.6 POPULATION PROFILE 16
• 3.7 CONCLUSIONS 17

4. THE BUILDERS AND PLUMBERS' MERCHANTS' MARKET 19

• 4.1 DEFINITION 19
• 4.2 PRODUCTS 19
  • 4.2.1 Product Range 20
• 4.3 MARKET STRUCTURE 20
  • 4.3.1 Lightside Product Distribution 21
  • 4.3.2 Heavyside Product Distribution 24
• 4.4 MARKET SIZE 24
  • 4.4.1 Current Situation - 2008 26
  • 4.4.2 Future Prospects - 2009 to 2013 28
• 4.5 MERCHANTS' SHARE OF CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT 30
• 4.6 BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION MARKET INFLUENCES 32
  • 4.6.1 Overall Construction Market 32
  • 4.6.2 The Housing Market 34
  • 4.6.3 Additional Factors Influencing the Merchants' Market 36

5. THE BUILDERS & PLUMBERS' MERCHANTS 38

• 5.1 MARKET SHARE 38
• 5.2 MERCHANT COMPANIES 42
  • 5.2.1 National Merchants 42
  • 5.2.2 Large Regional Merchants 52
  • 5.2.3 Small and Medium Size Regionals 55
  • 5.2.4 Local Merchants 61
  • 5.2.5 Buying Groups 63
• 5.3. CHARACTERISTICS OF BUILDERS & PLUMBERS' MERCHANTS 65
  • 5.3.1 Product Range 65
  • 5.3.2 Profitability 65
  • 5.3.3 Debtors 67
  • 5.3.4 Turnover Per Employee 68
  • 5.3.5 Pricing 69
• 5.4 MERCHANTS' MARKET - SWOT ANALYSIS 69

6. MERCHANTS' CUSTOMERS 71

• 6.1 BUILDERS 71
  • 6.1.1 House builders/General Builders 72
  • 6.1.2 Commercial Construction 74
  • 6.1.3 Civil Engineering 74
• 6.2 PLUMBING AND HEATING CONTRACTORS 75
• 6.3 MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS 76
• 6.4 OTHER CONTRACTORS 77
• 6.5 CONSUMERS 77
• 6.6 LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC BODIES 78
• 6.7 OTHER 79

7. PRODUCTS 80

• 7.1 PRODUCT MIX 80
• 7.2 MERCHANT SHARES BY PRODUCT 81
• 7.3 PRODUCT TRENDS 82
  • 7.3.1 Roofing & Insulation Materials 82
  • 7.3.2 Bricks, Blocks and Concrete Materials 85
  • 7.3.3 Cement & Plaster Materials 91
  • 7.3.4 Timber Products 94
  • 7.3.5 Plumbing and Drainage Materials 96
  • 7.3.6 Decorating Materials 99
  • 7.3.7 Heating and Ventilation 101
  • 7.3.8 Kitchens 104
  • 7.3.9 Ironmongery & Miscellaneous Products 105

TABLES AND CHARTS

• CHART 1 UK BUILDERS AND PLUMBERS' MERCHANTS' MARKET 2004 TO 2013 - BY VALUE £ BILLION AT MERCHANTS SELLING PRICES 8
• CHART 2 INTEREST RATES AND INFLATION (CPI) FROM 1992-2013 13
• CHART 3 PDI & SAVINGS RATIO AT CURRENT PRICES 1992-2013 15
• TABLE 4 EXCHANGE RATE FLUCTUATIONS 2002-2008 - STERLING TO THE DOLLAR, AND THE EURO, SPOT RATES 16
• CHART 5 AGE DISTRIBUTION OF THE RESIDENT UK POPULATION 2001 CENSUS (' 000) 17
• CHART 6 DISTRIBUTION STRUCTURE - LIGHTSIDE 22
• TABLE 7 UK BUILDING & PLUMBING MERCHANTS' MARKET 2003 TO 2013 - BY VALUE (£ MILLION AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES) 25
• TABLE 8 MERCHANTS SHARE OF UK CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT 2002 TO 2008 (£ BILLION CURRENT PRICES) 31
• CHART 9 UK CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT BY SECTOR, ANNUAL TOTALS, INDEX 2002 = 100 32
• CHART 10 HOUSING COMPLETIONS 2002 TO 2008 - UNITED KINGDOM (' 000) 34
• TABLE 11 NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS IN ENGLAND AND WALES 2002-2008 (' 000) 36
• CHART 12 MERCHANTS' MARKET SHARES 2008 39
• CHART 13 NATIONAL MERCHANTS MARKET SHARE COMPARISON 1997 AND 2008 40
• TABLE 14 CHANGING PERCENTAGE OF SHARE NATIONAL MERCHANTS 1997-2008 41
• CHART 15 MIX OF MERCHANTS BY TYPE 2008 41
• TABLE 16 KEY INDICATORS UK BUILDERS' MERCHANTS' MARKET - TRAVIS PERKINS 43
• TABLE 17 KEY INDICATORS UK BUILDERS' MERCHANTS' MARKET - WOLSELEY UK LTD 45
• TABLE 18 KEY INDICATORS UK BUILDERS' MERCHANTS MARKET - SAINT GOBAIN BUILDING DISTRIBUTION (JEWSON & GRAHAM) 47
• TABLE 19 KEY INDICATORS UK BUILDERS' MERCHANTS' MARKET - GRAFTON UK BUILDING PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION* 49
• TABLE 20 KEY INDICATORS UK BUILDERS' MERCHANTS' MARKET - BSS GROUP PLC 51
• TABLE 21 LEADING SMALLER REGIONAL MERCHANT COMPANIES 2007 61
• CHART 22 MERCHANTS BY TURNOVER 1996, 2000 AND 2007 63
• TABLE 23 MERCHANTS PROFITABILITY 2005 TO 2007 66
• TABLE 24 MERCHANTS DEBTORS LEVELS 2005 TO 2007 67
• TABLE 25 MERCHANTS TURNOVER PER EMPLOYEE 2005 TO 2007 68
• TABLE 26 MERCHANTS' MARKET - SWOT ANALYSIS 70
• CHART 27 UK VAT-REGISTERED BUILDERS 2007 72
• TABLE 28 NHBC REGISTERED BUILDERS BY NUMBER OF UNITS STARTED 1993-2007 73
• CHART 29 UK VAT REGISTERED PLUMBING AND HEATING CONTRACTORS 1998 AND 2007 75
• CHART 30 DIY MULTIPLES/BUILDERS' MERCHANTS SALES 2002-2008 (2000=100) 77
• CHART 31 BUILDERS AND PLUMBERS' MERCHANTS' MARKET PRODUCT MIX 2008 - £ MILLION AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES 80
• TABLE 32 BUILDERS & PLUMBERS' MERCHANTS SHARE OF THE MARKET SECTORS 2008 AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES 81
• CHART 33 UK ROOFING AND INSULATION MARKET 2004-08 £ MILLION MERCHANT SELLING PRICES 83
• CHART 34 ROOFING AND INSULATION MARKET 2008 - £ MILLION AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES 84
• CHART 35 UK MARKET FOR BRICKS, BLOCKS AND CONCRETE GOODS 2005 TO 2008 - £ MILLION AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES 86
• CHART 36 MIX OF BRICKS, BLOCKS & CONCRETE PRODUCTS 2008 BY VALUE £ MILLION AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES 87
• TABLE 37 PRODUCTION, STOCKS & DELIVERIES OF ALL BRICK TYPES (MILLIONS) 2003 TO 2008 88
• TABLE 38 PRODUCTION, STOCKS & DELIVERIES OF ALL CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCKS (' 000 SQ. METRES) 2003 TO 2008 89
• CHART 39 THE UK MARKET FOR CEMENT AND PLASTER MATERIALS 2004 TO 2008 - BY VALUE (£ MILLION AT MERCHANTS SELLING PRICES) 91
• TABLE 40 CEMENT AND READY MIXED CONCRETE PRODUCTION 2003 TO 2008 (' 000 TONNES) 92
• TABLE 41 SALES OF AGGREGATES IN GREAT BRITAIN 2003 TO 2008 (' 000) TONNES 93
• CHART 42 UK MARKET FOR TIMBER PRODUCTS 2003 TO 2008 - BY VALUE (£ MILLION AT MERCHANTS SELLING PRICES) 94
• CHART 43 TIMBER SALES BY MAJOR PRODUCT GROUPS 2008 - BY VALUE (£ MILLION AT MERCHANTS SELLING PRICES) 95
• CHART 44 UK MARKET FOR PLUMBING AND DRAINAGE MATERIALS 2003 TO 2008 - BY VALUE (£ MILLION AT MERCHANTS SELLING PRICES) 97
• CHART 45 PRODUCT MIX FOR PLUMBING AND DRAINAGE MATERIALS MARKET 2008 - BY VALUE (£ MILLION AT MERCHANTS SELLING PRICES) 98
• CHART 46 UK DECORATING MATERIALS MARKET 2004 TO 2008 - BY VALUE (£ MILLION AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES) 99
• CHART 47 PRODUCT MIX WITHIN THE DECORATING MATERIALS MARKET 2008 - BY VALUE (£ MILLION AT MERCHANTS SELLING PRICES) 100
• CHART 48 THE HEATING AND VENTILATION MARKET 2004 TO 2008 - BY VALUE - £MILLION AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES 101
• CHART 49 PRODUCT MIX HEATING AND VENTILATION PRODUCTS 2008 - % BY VALUE (£ MILLION AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES) 102
• CHART 50 THE DOMESTIC KITCHEN FURNITURE MARKET 2003 TO 2008 - BY VALUE - £MILLION AT MERCHANT SELLING PRICES 104
• CHART 51 MARKET FOR IRONMONGERY AND MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS 2008 % BY VALUE (MERCHANTS SELLING PRICES) 106