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PROFESSIONAL
BUILDERS MERCHANT 2021 Top 20: PBM magazine presents the annual listing of the UK’s largest merchant businesses, based on turnover calculations for the full calendar year of 2020.
In association with
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PROFESSIONAL
BUILDERS MERCHANT
PROFESSIONAL
BUILDERS MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
JANUARY 2020
TRANSPORT, HANDLING & SECURITY Safety and sustainability
MONTHLY TRENDS MONITOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Ecommerce and increased efficiency
KITCHENS & BATHROOMS Trends and opportunities
Plus: News, NBG Conference, training, merchandising & display solutions and more.
Fantasy Football Window on the world
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
TOP PRESENTS THE
20
PROFESSIONAL
BUILDERS MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
MAY 2020
CORONAVIRUS How the sector has responded to the crisis
BRICKS, BLOCKS & HARD LANDSCAPING Pushing the pause button
PAINTS & WOODCARE Premium coatings
TOOLS, FIXINGS & ADHESIVES New product launches
Plus: News, The Pulse trends monitor, training, merchandising & display solutions and more.
Fantasy Football Sporting shutdown See page 51
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
BUILDERS’ MERCHANTS CHART FOR 2021 (based on full calendar year turnover for 2020)
In association with
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PROFESSIONAL
PROFESSIONAL
PROFESSIONAL
BUILDERS
BUILDERS
BUILDERS
MERCHANT
JANUARY 2020
THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
FEBRUARY 2020
MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
MARCH 2020
MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
MONTHLY TRENDS MONITOR
APRIL 2020
MONTHLY TRENDS MONITOR
TOP 20 MERCHANT CHART Benchmarking the sector’s biggest businesses
MONTHLY TRENDS MONITOR
WORKWEAR & EQUIPMENT Upselling opportunities
TOOLS, FIXINGS & ADHESIVES
PLUMBING & HEATING Looking beyond gas heating
The clamour for cordless
BRICKS, BLOCKS & HARD LANDSCAPING
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
GARDENS & L ANDSCAPING
A new take on familiar favourites
Trade counter efficiencies
Maximising outdoor sales
REPAIR, MAINTENANCE & IMPROVEMENT
DOORS, WINDOWS & SECURITY
Innovation and efficiencies
Capitalising on a growing market
Fantasy Football
Plus: News, The Pulse trends monitor, training, merchandising & display solutions, and more.
See page 51
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
See page 51
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
Weathering the storm
Fantasy Football
Plus: News, digital data standards, training, merchandising & display solutions and more.
What happens now? See page 75
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
PROFESSIONAL
PROFESSIONAL
PROFESSIONAL
BUILDERS
BUILDERS
BUILDERS
MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
MAY 2020
DRAINAGE & WATER MANAGEMENT Fantasy Football
Plus: News, MKM opens its 70th branch, training, merchandising & display solutions and more.
JUNE 2020
MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
JULY/AUGUST 2020
MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
SEPTEMBER 2020
BRICKS, BLOCKS & MASONRY
The pathway to recovery
Brick slips in demand
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Embracing e-commerce
CONFIDENCE IN A CRISIS
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
GARDENS & LANDSCAPING
THE PULSE
Implementing the new normal
Opportunities in the great outdoors
Trade counter feedback
THE PULSE
Fantasy Football
Feedback from the merchant frontline
Plus: News, digital growth, debt recovery, training, industry comment and more.
Get ready for the big re-start See page 51
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
TOOLS, FIXINGS & ADHESIVES
TRANSPORT, HANDLING & STORAGE Safety and efficiency
Plus: News, digital growth, Covid-secure branches, training, industry comment and more
Fantasy Football And we’re back! See page 51
Timber cutting machines for merchants
Fantasy Football
Plus: News, Huws Gray’s 30th anniversary, apprenticeships, industry comment and more.
Season’s greetings! See page 51
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
PROFESSIONAL
PROFESSIONAL
PROFESSIONAL
BUILDERS
BUILDERS
BUILDERS
MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
OCTOBER 2020
MERCHANT THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
DRAINAGE & WATER MANAGEMENT SuDS and flood prevention
Plus: News, customer feedback, apprenticeships, industry comment and more.
Fantasy Football A new beginning See page 51
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
DECEMBER 2020
BUSINESS ESSENTIALS Gearing up for Brexit
Change and transformation
Showroom solutions for the new normal
Opening up new sales
THE No.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MERCHANTS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
KITCHENS & BATHROOMS DOORS, WINDOWS & SECURITY
MERCHANT
MERCHANT SECTOR SALES & CONFIDENCE
CHECKING THE INDUSTRY HEARTBEAT
th
NOVEMBER 2020
ROOFING, FLOORING & INSULATION Gearing up for the Green Homes Grant
TOOLS, FIXINGS & ADHESIVES New product innovations
Plus: News, BMF Members’ Annual Conference, acquisitions, industry comment and more.
MERCHANT SECTOR SALES & CONFIDENCE
Fantasy Football All to play for! See page 51
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
PLUMBING & HEATING The impact of decarbonisation
TIMBER Supply and demand
Plus: News, training, e-commerce, acquisitions, industry comment and more.
Fantasy Football Taking shape! See page 51
www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
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TRAVIS PERKINS PLC (exc. Wickes)
64% H 36% L
SAINT-GOBAIN BUILDING DISTRIBUTION UK
40% H 60% L
WOLSELEY UK
20% H 80% L
GRAFTON UK MERCHANTING Heavyside/ lightside split unavailable
MKM
79% H 21% L Key Brands Travis Perkins
Key Brands
Key Brands Buildbase
Jewson
Wolseley Plumb & Parts
Toolstation
Graham
William Wilson
MacBlair
Keyline
Gibbs & Dandy
Burdens
Leyland SDS
CCF
JP Corry
MPS
PDM Buildbase
£4.77bn
£2.82bn
£1.49bn
£1.46bn
£495m
1,283 branches
978 branches
542 branches
324 branches
79 branches
2019 £1.71bn 343 branches
2019 £470m 69 branches
City Plumbing Supplies
Key Brands
PTS
Selco
(Figures show year end 31/7/2020)
2019 £5.6bn 1,425 branches
Previous year £2.74bn c1,000 branches
■
■
Previous year £1.725bn 551 branches
■
■
■■■
1
2
3
4
CEO: Nick Roberts
CE0: Mike Newnham
CEO: Simon Oakland
CE0: Gavin Slark
Directors: David Kilburn, Mark Smith, Kate Tinsley
www.travisperkinsplc.co.uk
www.saint-gobain.co.uk
www.wolseley.co.uk
www.graftonplc.com
www.mkmbs.co.uk
5
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Kerridge Commercial Systems provides specialist ERP, Business Management Software, Services and Support to Merchants, Distributors, Wholesalers and Retailers. Our fully integrated cloud-based software includes modules that support improved stock control, warehouse management, sales order processing, accounting, delivery management and much more. For more information please contact:
UK PLUMBING SUPPLIES
100% L
Tel: 01488 662000 Email: hello@kerridgecs.com Web: www.kerridgecs.com
HUWS GRAY GROUP
83% H 17% L
LORDS GROUP TRADING
35% H 65% L
NATIONAL TIMBER GROUP Heavyside/ lightside split unavailable
Key Brands Plumbase
INDEPENDENT BUILDERS MERCHANT GROUP
97% H 3% L
HPS Plumbcity
Key Brands
Key Brands
Key Brands
Arnold Laver
Parkers
Hevey BS
NYT
Chandlers
Huws Gray
George Lines
Rembrand
Stamco
Plumbstore
Ridgeons
APP Wholesale
Thornbridge
Fairalls
£420m e
£358m
£287m
£250m e
£171m
c260
branches
105 branches
29 branches
56 branches
39 branches
Previous year N/A
2019 £381m 107 branches
2019 approx £98m 28 branches
2019 approx £253.4m c53 branches
2019 £178m 37 branches
Plumbstop Willbond UK Plumbing Supplies
Key Brands
■■
■■
UK Plumbing Supplies
6
■■■
HUWS
■■■
■■■
GRAY
Directors: Douglas Christie Angus Falconer
7
8
MD: Terry Owen Chair: John LL Jones
N/A
www.huwsgray.co.uk
CEO: Shanker Patel CFO: Chris Day www.lordsgrouptrading.co.uk
9 10 Group CEO: Rob Barclay
CEO: Andrew Cope CFO: Paul Barry Chair: Fiona Perrin
www.nationaltimbergroup.com
www.independentbm.com
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2020 forecast / estimated turnover
KEY
UK merchant operation numbers only, where possible. If full 2020 calendar year figures were not available, the most recent information has been used, as noted. ESTIMATED HEAVYSIDE / LIGHTSIDE SPLIT IS INDICATED WHERE POSSIBLE. ESTIMATED HEAVYSIDE / LIGHTSIDE SPLIT IS INDICATED WHERE POSSIBLE. HEAVYSIDE FIGURES INCLUDE TIMBER (WHERE APPLICABLE) LIGHTSIDE FIGURES INCLUDE SHOWROOMS, TOOLS, HIRE SERVICES AND ELECTRICAL (WHERE APPLICABLE)
e = PBM estimate on turnover and branches
Source: Figures are compiled via information supplied by a merchant company, latest published account data and PBM estimates. Every effort is made to ensure the data presented is accurate but PBM cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions.
INDUSTRY AFFILIATIONS BMF ■ NMBS ■ PHG ■ NBG ■ FORTIS ■ H+B ■ Note: not to scale
Published in PBM magazine April 2021
BRADFORDS
80% H 20% L
HALDANE GROUP
77% H 23% L
LAWSONS
EH SMITH
93% H 7% L
99% H 1% L
Key Brands
HOWARTH TIMBER & BUILDING SUPPLIES
Key Brands
Key Brands
Haldane Fisher
Lawsons
YPS Plumbing Supplies
Plumbmaster GE Robinson
AVS Fencing Supplies
£156m
£132m
£125.8m
£121.7m
£110m e
45 branches
20 branches
28 branches
10 branches
34 branches
Bradfords Building Supplies
2019 £144m 45 branches
■■■
2019 £130.6m 20 branches
■ ■ ■ ■■
2019 £95.1m 17 branches
■■■
Heavyside/ lightside split unavailable
2019 £139.2m 11 branches
■■■■■
Previous year £100.6m 33 branches (Figures show year end 31/3/2020)
■■■
11 12 13 14 15 Group CEO: David Young www.bradfords.co.uk
Group CEO: Ian Haldane www.haldane-group.com
Joint MDs: Paul Rushent, Jeremy Norris Chair: Simon Lawson
MD: Mark Setchell Chair: John Parker
Joint MDs: Nicholas Howarth Andrew Howarth
www.lawsons.co.uk
www.ehsmith.co.uk
www.howarth-timber.co.uk
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PROFESSIONAL
BUILDERS MERCHANT
Top 20 merchants — 2021: The UK’s largest merchant businesses, based on turnover data for the 2020 calendar year NB: Subsequent to the
BUILDER DEPOT JT ATKINSON
WILLIAMS & CO
75% H 25% L
100% L
£108m
£98.9m
4 branches
Heavyside/ lightside split unavailable
JAMES HARGREAVES
2020 period our chart covers, Grant & Stone has made several major acquisitions — CRS, RGB, Buildit and Total Plumbing Supplies — which raises the Group’s turnover to approaching £250m and 74 branches.
GRANT & STONE
100% L
50% H 50% L
£93.7m
£89.4m
£79.7m
30 branches
39 branches
65 branches
30 branches
2019 £91m 30 branches
2019 £89.7m 38 branches
2019 £90m 61 branches
2019 £88.6m 29 branches
(Figures show year end 31/12/2019)
Previous year £106.7m 4 branches
■■
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■■
■■■
■■■
16 17 18 19 20 MD: Michael Aaronson
MD: Edwin Atkinson SD: Jamie Atkinson
MD: Ray Stafford
MD: Gordon Rothwell
CEO: Nick House COO: Peter Cudd
www.builderdepot.co.uk
www.jtatkinson.co.uk
www.williams.uk.com
www.jhplumbingdepot.co.uk
www.grantandstone.co.uk
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2021 Top 20: PBM provides the background context behind the UK merchant sector’s largest businesses’ trading during 2020. It is no surprise to say the Covid-19 pandemic had a seismic impact on the performance of the UK’s largest merchant organisations, yet our countdown also shows the full range of activity as seen in any normal year — mergers, new depots, branch closures and new business activities. Furthermore, 2021 has already seen some significant transformative action within the sector. Huws Gray, Lords Group Trading and the National Timber Group have all made acquisitions outside of our 2020 full year data period, whilst the series of major acquisitions made by Grant & Stone will propel the business some way up our countdown next time around. Selco and MKM are amongst those to have opened new branches, whilst Wolseley UK’s demerger from Ferguson plc was completed via private equity investment from Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in January. Looking back to 2020, Travis Perkins plc continues to take its place at the head of our list. Our figures exclude Wickes to allow for a closer ‘like-for-like’ comparison (across the chart, direct comparisons are increasingly difficult given the broad constituent areas in which our Top 20 operate…), and the Group has reported “resilient trading amidst significant uncertainty” highlighting the “robust recovery” experienced during the second half of the year, driven by strong RMI demand. Saint-Gobain Building Distribution maintains second, whilst Wolseley UK reclaims third following a year in which it “took steps to refocus the business on a
clear customer proposition, separating out the Building Services businesses and branches (Wolseley Pipe and Wolseley Climate) and Plumbing and Heating (Wolseley Plumb & Parts) to ensure that customers have access to a service and expertise that aligns to their needs”. In fourth, Grafton Group plc’s CEO Gavin Slark acknowledged the impact of the crisis but reflected on the strong recovery in the second half of the year, outlining that the measures taken by the Group would have a lasting effect on its future performance. He said: “Grafton today is a stronger, more resilient, more digitally and sustainability savvy business than it was before the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic… underpinned by an improved customer proposition across all of our businesses.” With ten locations added to its network in 2020, MKM outlined its plans to continue its new branch opening programme with 15-20 additional sites earmarked for 2021. In sixth, UK Plumbing Supplies is the first ‘new’ name on our countdown, having officially transitioned from Plumbing & Heating Investments Limited on 1st January 2020. Reflecting the realities of a sustained period of branch closures, Huws Gray notes that “online sales more than tripled in 2020 as a direct impact of Covid-19” whilst the company also made a number of acquisitions to its network in 2020. The acquisition trail continues, with the purchase of Builders Suppliers (West Coast) finalised in February 2021. Having just missed out last year, Lords
Group Trading makes a significant jump up the rankings as a result of its acquisition (in December 2019) of APP Wholesale. In March 2021, the Group’s Hevey Building Supplies brand announced the acquisition of MAP Building & Civil Engineering Supplies, continuing the growth plan for the family-owned Group, which is “aiming to become a top five supplier of building materials in the next five years.” In ninth, the National Timber Group is another to have already expanded its operations in 2021 with its Arnold Laver arm acquiring Hymor Timber. In 2020, Arnold Laver joined NBG with its fellow brands such as North Yorkshire Timber, Thornbridge Sawmills and Rembrand Timber coming on board as associate members. Concluding the Top 10, the Independent Builders Merchants Group said that 2020 was very much about consolidating and integrating its newly expanded businesses following a “busy year of acquisitions in 2019”. Doubtless echoing the sentiments of many, it added: “We look ahead to 2021 with a sense of optimism for strong customer demand and further growth opportunities, along with significant developments in our ecommerce capabilities across the Group.” We are extremely grateful for the support of the sector in compiling this industry barometer. More details on each of our submissions for the full ‘Top 20’ (and those who narrowly missed the cut…) will be available on our website www.professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk
K8: The strong digital platform for your future Wherever you are on your digital journey, growing the profits of your business can be made easier with the right platform to keep your business moving. Easily integrate and manage your business processes with a digital platform designed for your business both now and for years to come. The latest version of K8 has all the tools you need to deliver your digital strategy, whether it’s opening up new routes to market with online B2B and B2C trading, or streamlining core processes through the use of innovative apps, we’re here to help your business thrive and compete better in the connected world. Go digital now, and grow profits for the future with Kerridge Commercial Systems. For more information, call 01488 662000, email hello@kerridgecs.com or visit www.kerridgecs.com
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