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ISBN 1-85765-581-8

This report covers: builders' merchants, diy stores,bricks, roofing tiles, cement, sand, gravel, private contractors, RMI, repair, maintenance, improvement

Companies covered include: Wolseley, meyer International, Travis perkins, Graham Group, Jackson Building Centres, Cooper Clarke Group, Ridgeon Group, WTB Group, William Wilson Holdings, Homebase, Wickes, Focus Do It All

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Executive Summary

Table of Contents

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 1998, sales through builders' merchants in the UK were estimated at £8.2bn -- an increase of 3.8 percent on the figure of £7.9bn for 1997.
The products covered by this report include heavy side (bricks, cement, roofing tiles, lintels, plaster, etc.), light side (heating, plumbing, floor/ceiling tiles, kitchen, bathroom, etc.), and tools and tool hire. The market for these products is discussed in relation to housing, industrial construction, commercial construction, and repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI). The latter is particularly important, on account of its large market size and its significance to contractors, requiring a wide range of items to be stocked by builders' merchants. Deliveries and stocks for a range of building materials are also given, together with international trade data.
The overall number of contractors shows a continued downward trend, but there has been an increase in the number of contractors at both ends of the company size spectrum, i.e. self-employed contractors and large companies.
There have been changes in company ownership, with the larger companies continuing to acquire smaller ones in order to boost their geographical and product coverage. The market is now dominated by five companies: Wolseley PLC, Travis Perkins PLC, Graham Group PLC, Jewson Ltd and Keyline Builders' Merchants Ltd. With the recently announced acquisition of Keyline by Travis Perkins, the market will be dominated by four companies with a combined turnover of £3.07bn (excluding Wolseley's international activities) -- around 37 percent of the total market by value, and very much more in terms of numbers of outlets.
Builders' merchants are challenged in the small contractor market by `do it yourself' (DIY) stores -- especially by the larger companies, such as B&Q, Homebase, Do-It-All and Wickes. In order to contain any further encroachment from this sector, and in an effort to achieve greater retail sales, builders' merchants are examining their appeal to the smaller company end of the market. Jewson has just launched an advertising campaign, including promotion on television.
The future for the construction industry is somewhat unsettled at present, but Key Note forecasts a continuous growth in builders' merchants sales: from £8.3bn in 1999, to £9.6bn in 2003.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Market Definition

INTRODUCTION

TYPES OF OUTLET

MARKET POSITION

MARKET TRENDS

Table 1: New Housing Output by Value at Current Prices (£m), 1994-1998

Table 2: Private Sector Industrial Construction Output by Value at Current Prices (£m), 1994-1998

Table 3: Private Sector Commercial Construction Output by Value at Current Prices (£m), 1994-1998

Table 4: The Repair, Maintenance and Improvement Market by Value at Current Prices (£m), 1994-1998

Market Size

INTRODUCTION

THE TOTAL MARKET

BY MARKET SECTOR

FOREIGN TRADE

Table 5: Construction Output by Value at Current Prices (£m), 1994-1998

Table 6: The Builders' Merchants Market by Value (£bn), 1994-1998

Table 7: Deliveries and Stocks of Bricks and Tiles (million and 000 square metres), 1994-1998

Table 8: Deliveries and Stocks of Cement (000 tonnes), 1994-1998

Table 9: The Sand and GravelÅ Market by Volume (000 tonnes), 1994-1998

Table 10: Exports of Selected Building Materials, Equipment and Components by Value (£m), 1994-1998

Table 11: Imports of Selected Building Materials, Equipment and Components by Value (£m), 1994-1998

Industry Background

INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION

HOUSING STARTS AND COMPLETIONS

EMPLOYMENT

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

Table 12: The Number of Builders' Merchants by Turnover (£000), 1998

Table 13: The Number of Housing Starts and Completions (000), 1994-1998

Competitor Analysis

THE MARKETPLACE

MARKET LEADERS

ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION

Table 14: Selected Leading Builders' Merchants in the UK by Turnover (£m), 1997/1998

Table 15: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by DIY Stores and Builders' Merchants (£000), Year to December 1997 and 1998

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

Buying Behaviour

PRIVATE CONTRACTORS

REGIONAL CONCENTRATION

Table 16: The Number of Private Contractors in Great Britain by Number of Employees, 1994-1998

Table 17: The Number of Private Contractors in Great Britain by Trade (number and percent), 1997

Table 18: Regional Concentration of Private Contractors in Great Britain (number of firms), 1994-1997

Outside Suppliers to the Industry

INTRODUCTION

MAJOR SUPPLIERS

PRODUCT SOURCING

PACKAGING AND PRESENTATION

Current Issues

COMPETITION FROM DIY STORES

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

MARKETING

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENTS

Forecasts

FORECASTS 1999 TO 2003

THE ECONOMY

NEW CONSTRUCTION

REPAIR, MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT

Table 19: The Forecast Builders' Merchants Market by Value (£bn), 1999-2003

Table 20: Forecast Housing Starts and Completions (000), 1999-2003

Table 21: Forecast Private Sector Commercial Construction Output by Value (£m), 1999-2003

Table 22: The Forecast Repair, Maintenance and Improvement Market by Value (£m), 1999-2003

Company Profiles

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITIONS

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Sources

ASSOCIATIONS

PERIODICALS

DIRECTORIES

GENERAL SOURCES

HOPPENSTEDT BONNIER INFORMATION SOURCES

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

OTHER SOURCES

Text © 1999 Key Note

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Last updated by Jacob van Eldik 22th January 2000