Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Irish builders and plumbers merchant chain Grafton Group has announced year-end sales that were modestly above the level achieved a year previously.
A trading update for the year to December 31 2010 showed group turnover up to €2.00bn compared to the €1.98bn achieved in 2009. Sales in the second half were €1.02bn, up 3%on the same period in 2009. However, sales did suffer from the bad weather in late November and December.
Group merchanting turnover saw an increase of 3% in the year. UK merchanting sales were up 7% on the €1.32 billion achieved in 2009.
Although Irish merchanting sales have been falling, the rate of the slow-down was less in the second half – down 7% – than it had been in the first half – down 16%.
