Analysis from the BMF (Builders Merchants Federation), found the North East was also a top performer in the first quarter of 2025 when compared to Q1 last year, with a jump of 5.8% in sales.
The BMF’s quarterly Building Materials Building Index (BMBI) evaluates building materials sales on a quarterly basis and is considered to be a key bellwether for the national economic picture.
Martin Armour, Commercial Director at Burton Roofing Merchants Ltd, is the BMF’s Regional Chair for the North of England. He said: “The North East’s impressive surge in building materials sales in March, alongside strong growth in Q1 2025, underscores the region’s robust demand and economic resilience.
“These figures reflect a positive outlook for the construction sector and highlight the North East’s pivotal role in driving national growth.”
The BMF’s BMBI is drawn from 88 per cent of builders’ merchants sales throughout the country, using GfK’s point of sale tracking data to make it one of the most reliable measures of sales activity for the sector.
BMF CEO John Newcomb said: “The building materials sector is critical to the lifeblood of the UK economy and reflects the ‘mood of the nation’ - particularly around home repair, maintenance and improvement.
“On a national level in March, the total volume of sales was +11.2% that at the same time last year - a clear increase in demand for building materials, aided by a fall in prices of -3.6% when compared to March 2024.
“When comparing Q1 2025 to Q1 2024, total volume sales were +3.9% and prices were -2.9% down
“With a jump of 12.4% sales in March and 5.8% in Q1, the North East is one of the top performers in terms of building materials sales so far in 2025.”