20th October 2022
Travis Perkins RMI Index
Survey of UK tradespeople reveals majority remain optimistic
about near term industry outlook
78% of tradespeople expect workloads to increase or remain unchanged in the coming months
82% of tradespeople expect their materials purchasing requirements to increase or stay the same in the next two months
59% of tradespeople are often or sometimes asked about energy efficient product choices
Key issues facing the industry are the rising costs of materials, fuel bills and rising inflation
20 October 2022: Early findings of a national survey of nearly 900 UK tradespeople has revealed that the majority remain optimistic about near-term prospects with 78% of respondents believing their workloads will increase or remain the same over the next two months.
In line with the wider economic decline, the outlook for workloads is down from 93% of respondents to our latest RMI Index Report published in May, and down from 89% a year ago.
The survey, undertaken by Travis Perkins plc, the UK’s largest supplier of building materials and equipment, provides a snapshot of the nation’s tradespeople, including builders, plumbers, painters and decorators, and kitchen fitters.
It also showed respondents are concerned about rising costs of materials and the uncertainty surrounding fuels bills and rising inflation, which in turn is causing customers to be more cautious. However, eight in ten (82%) of respondents still expect their materials purchasing requirements to increase or stay the same in the next two months.
Despite economic uncertainty and in light of rising energy prices, 59% of respondents revealed that they are frequently or sometimes asked about energy efficient product choices, with customers focusing on insulation (43%), lighting (43%) and heating renewables (36%).
This survey is the fifth publication of Travis Perkins’ RMI Index following the inaugural report published in August 2020. The full report will be available on the Travis Perkins website in due course.
ENDS
