News

Plumbing and heating specialist Simply Plumbing & Bathrooms Ltd has joined National Buying Group as a Partner. Simply Plumbing & Bathrooms, Based in Bromley in Kent, began trading in 2011 as a heating and plumbing merchant before opening a bathroom showroom in 2016. Becoming part of NBG provides the company …

Duravit has published its latest Sustainability Report, setting out the company’s progress, measures and goals as it continues to embed sustainability across its global business. Prepared in line with the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the report reflects Duravit’s preparations for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), supported …

The BMF has issued an urgent warning to merchants and building materials suppliers seeking funding for colleagues to take the popular Level 3 Team Leader Apprenticeship programme. After July 17,  merchants and suppliers will no longer have access to the Level 3 Team Leader Apprenticeship through the BMF. This follows …

The UK roofing products market remained level in 2025 after two years of negative growth as weak housebuilding activity, cost pressures and low market confidence continue to weigh on demand, according to an industry report by Barbour ABI. The market recorded a marginal 1% decline in 2023, followed by a …

 The latest figures from the Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index (PHMI) report published by MRA Research show like-for-like value sales (adjusted to remove the impact of trading days) for April 2026 through specialist plumbing and heating merchants were up +0.5% compared to the same month in 2025. Like-for-like volume sales were …

The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report, published by MRA Research, shows April’s total like-for-like value sales, adjusted to remove the effect of trading days, were -0.6% lower than the same month in 2025. With no difference in trading days, total unadjusted value sales were also -0.6% lower, with …

The BMF (Builders Merchants Federation) has welcomed the launch of the Regional Building Foundation, a new organisation that brings together businesses across the construction industry. BMF CEO John Newcomb has joined the Foundation’s Advisory Board, where he will represent the interests of the building materials supply chain and ensure the …

Flair Showers, part of Sanbra Ltd, is bringing its mobile showroom to plumbers’ merchants From July, the Flair PRO mobile showroom will be travelling to a number of locations across the UK Starting in the South East,  then the South West, up through the Midlands and North, making its way …

STARK UK and Jewson have launched a national ‘Let’s Get Britain Building – NOW!’ campaign, Bringing together builders, tradespeople and construction businesses, the campaign warns that unless urgent action is taken, the Government’s housing and growth ambitions cannot be achieved, calling for immediate government intervention, including: • Financial incentives to …

The Rainy Day Trust is launching Thousand Smiles September, a sector-wide kindness challenge. The event asks every participant commits to one intentional act of kindness each day throughout September, logging it through the Habits for Health app by Wellbeing People, featuring a real-time leaderboard, and a collective smiles counter. Registering …