Figures published by the Builders Merchants Federation in the Plumbing and Heating Merchants Index (PHMI), which provide a detailed snapshot of trading performance across the sector, confirm a continued decline in sales volumes in the second quarter of the year.
Although the total value sales for Q2 2026 were only marginally lower than Q2 2025 at -0.2%, the increase in prices of +8.2% masked that volume sales fell by -7.8%.
Comparing Q2 2026 with the first quarter of the year, like-for-like value sales in Q1 2026 (adjusted to remove the impact of trading day differences) decreased by -9.2% against the previous quarter, with volume sales -6.7% lower in the latest quarter. With two fewer trading days in Q2 2026, unadjusted value sales for the Total Plumbing & Heating Merchants market were -12.0% lower than Q1 2026 with volume sales -9.6% lower and prices down by -2.7%.
With no difference in trading days, like-for-like value sales were +0.8% higher in the latest 12-month period to June 2026 compared with the previous 12-month period. However, like-for-like volume sales fell by -4.4%, while prices increased by +5.4%.
The data for the PHMI is taken solely from P&H specialists, including City Plumbing Supplies, James Hargreaves Plumbing Depot, Plumbfix, PTS, Williams & Co, and Wolseley, who form part of NiQ GfK's Plumbing & Heating Merchants Panel, and there is no overlap or double counting between the PHMI and the BMF's established Builders Merchants Building Index which analyses sales at generalist merchants.
