Year-on-year, February sales were 1.1% down on February 2016 but average sales per day were 3.9% up when adjusted for a difference in trading days.
Six product categories saw marginal gains in February, including Tools (+1.8%) and Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+1.1%).
Workwear & Safetywear (-3.6%), Decorating (-4.4%) and Services (-7.1%) saw the biggest declines.
Month-on-month, February sales were up 6.1% on January (+11.4% adjusting for trading days). Despite February being wetter than January, Landscaping was the top performer, up 23.5%. Other categories out-performing total merchants included Kitchens& Bathrooms (+12.3%) and Heavy Building Materials (+6.5%). Workwear & Safetywear was weakest (-6.2%), one of only two categories to slow.
January and February sales combined were 2.8% ahead of the same two months in 2016. Tool sales were strongest (+ 5.0%). Timber & Joinery Products (+ 3.3%) and Heavy Building Materials (+3.1%) also did better than total merchants. The three months December to February 2017 were 8.0% up on the same three months a year before (or +4.4 % when adjusted for trading days). The rolling 12-month period, March 2016 to February 2017, was 4.5% up on the previous 12 months.
February鈥檚 Builders Merchant Building Index was 100.5 (104.2 adjusted) in Fenraury 2017, up from 94.7 in January. Plumbing Heating & Electrical, influenced by seasonal factors, had the highest index (116.1). Other above average categories included Kitchens & Bathrooms (110.2), Ironmongery (109.4) and Tools (101.7).
The Builders Merchants Building Index (BMBI) tracks builders鈥� merchants鈥� actual sales to builders and contractors using GfK鈥檚 Builders鈥� Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data. The BMBI represents more than 80% of the value of the builders' merchants' market.
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