Tag Archives: Research

Hand tool manufacturer KNIPEX has released new research on what plumbers want from merchants. The findings, pulled together from surveys, focus groups and merchant visits across the UK, claim 61% of plumbers say quality is their main priority, with just 9% putting price first. The research also highlights that trade …

The majority of tradespeople prefer their cup of tea to be a golden shade of brown according to a poll by Toolstation. Researchers used a 16-point scale featuring a range of different tea strengths from milky white to almost black. Of the 1,000 tradespeople that participated in the survey 26% …

More than half (55%) of plumbers are struggling to hire apprentices due to wage costs and national insurance contributions, according to new research from plumbing and drainage manufacturer Wavin. Whilst wages and national insurance contributions was the most common difficulty cited by plumbers, half also find it difficult to find …

The latest figures from the Timber Development UK has shown that timber import volumes started 2024 around 6% lower than in January 2023 – down by around 45,000m3. It stated that this reduction was made up of very different levels of performance in the first month of the year. Softwood, …

Forterra announced it has installed almost 7,000 solar panels at its new factory in Desford, Leicestershire; it has a projected energy output of 2.6 megawatts, its solar panels will generate approximately 16% of it’s factory’s energy demands. The solar panels have been installed by Custom Solar, a company that designs, …

Toolstation has announced it will continue its sponsorship of talkSPORT podcast “The Men’s Room”, with new hosts Neil Ruddock, former England footballer and Thomas Skinner, TV personality. The podcast first aired in 2022 and was launched to help give men a space to talk about the things that affect them …

The Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) reports that compared to the same period in 2022, Q3 2023 total volume sales to builders and trades fell -10.5% from Britain’s Builders’ Merchants. Value sales were down -3.3%, as prices rose +8.0%. There was no difference in trading days. The three largest categories …

The Plumbing & Heating index (PHMI) report indicated that price increases has driven a 2.6% increase in value sales growth compared to the same period in 2022 (+5.8%) higher prices; it also highlights that volumes fell 3%. Mike Rigby, CEO of MRA Research which produce the report, said: “House building …

The Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) has launched its free-to-access carbon database and is asking for the industry to unite behind it. The first data repository of its kind, it’s Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD) is designed to help drive down carbon emissions by enabling users to both submit data …

Baxi has hosted its first official visit to its €13 million (£11 million) commercial heat pump R&D and laboratory site in Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain. Its 7,000m² factory, located near Barcelona and opened just last year, is focused on developing and producing commercial heat pump technology. Its site boasts complete …