By value, just three of the twelve categories sold more: Services (+7.0%), Timber & Joinery (+1.6%) and Miscelllaneous (+0.2%). Renewables & Water Saving (-6.6%), Workwear & Safetywear (-4.6%) and Heavy Building Materials (-1.9%) saw the largest declines.
In the three months February to April 2026, like-for-like value sales were -2.8% lower compared to the same three months in 2025. Like-for-like volume sales were down -7.1% with prices increasing +4.7%.
In the 12 months May 2025 to April 2026, like-for-like value sales were down -0.7% compared to the previous 12-month period (May 2024 to April 2025). With no difference in trading days, unadjusted volume sales fell -2.0% while prices increased +1.3%.
Mike Rigby, Managing Director of MRA Research which produces the BMBI report says: “So far, 2026 has been a series of surprises, mostly unwelcome. Now, as we reach the midpoint of the year, what we want is what we were led to expect: positive signs of consistent growth. But this may be some way off. On the negative side of the ledger, new home registrations were down -6% in Q1 as rising costs and falling demand created poor market conditions for developers, with eight out of 12 regions seeing a decline.
“Real estate companies (estate agents, landowners and estate management companies) are going bust at the fastest rate seen in the last 10 years as the UK’s property market takes a battering. Since the start of the year, 762 property related businesses have become insolvent in the UK. That’s more than 60 per cent up on last year as the Iran war stifles consumer confidence and adds to building costs.”
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