Timber and Joinery sales up 2.4% year-on-year in January

The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published in March, shows January’s builders’ merchant like-for-like value sales (adjusted to remove the effect of trading days) were -2.6% lower than January 2025. Like-for-like volume sales fell -7.2% while prices increased +5.0%.

With one less trading day this January, total value sales (unadjusted for trading day differences) were -7.0% lower than January 2025. On a similar unadjusted basis, volumes were down -11.4%. Prices rose +5.0%. Only Renewables and Water Saving (+8.5%) sold more by value. Timber and Joinery Products (-2.2%) fell less than Total Builders Merchants, while Heavy Building Materials fell -11.0%.

Month-on-month, January’s like-for-like value sales were +3.0% ahead of December 2025, with like-for-like volume sales increasing +2.0% and prices up +0.9%. With three additional trading days in January, unadjusted value sales were +20.2% up month-on-month.

Unadjusted volume sales increased +19.0% and prices rose +0.9%. All categories sold more by unadjusted value, with Renewables & Water Saving (+27.0%), Tools (+26.5%), Workwear and Safetywear (+25.8%) and Ironmongery (+25.2%) up the most. Timber and Joinery Products increased +23.6%.

In the three months November 2025 to January 2026, like-for-like value sales were -2.0% lower than the same three-month period a year before.

Like-for-like volumes were down -5.9% and prices were up +4.0%. With one less trading day in the most recent three-month period, unadjusted value sales were down -3.7% while volumes were -7.4% lower and prices increased +4.0%. By unadjusted value sales, seven categories sold more including Timber & Joinery Products (+0.4%).

In the 12 months from February 2025 to January 2026, like-for-like value sales were up +1.0% compared to the previous 12-month period (February 2024 – January 2025). Like-for-like volume sales increased +1.4% and prices decreased -0.4%.

With two less trading days in the most recent 12-month period, unadjusted value sales were +0.2% higher with volumes up +0.6% and prices down -0.4%. Nine categories sold more (unadjusted value sales), with Renewables & Water Saving (+6.4%) doing best. Timber & Joinery Products (+1.8%) was ahead of Total Builders Merchants.

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