UK building supplier Travis sales dip on weak demand, shares slump
By Simone Lobo
Travis Perkins Faces Challenging Market Conditions in Q1
April 28 (Reuters) - British building materials supplier Travis Perkins posted a dip in first-quarter revenue on Tuesday, hit by a subdued construction market but said it was making progress in passing on higher costs to customers through price hikes.
Share Performance and Industry Impact
Its shares fell nearly 7%, weighed down further by homebuilder Taylor Wimpey which, separately, raised its 2026 build-cost expectations as higher energy prices threatened to deepen margin pressure.
Merchanting Business Under Pressure
Travis Perkins, the largest supplier of building materials in the UK, said it has continued to face challenging trading conditions, especially in its merchanting business that caters to homebuilders and infrastructure contractors.
Toolstation UK Offers Partial Relief
The Northampton, England-based company reported a 1.7% drop in first-quarter like-for-like sales as a solid performance at its Toolstation UK arm - which sells kitchen and bathroom fittings as well as hammers - only partly offset weakness in merchanting.
Rising Costs and Supplier Strategies
Construction suppliers, already grappling with weak activity due to elevated interest rates and subdued housing demand, are facing mounting cost pressures as the Middle East conflict drives up oil and energy prices.
Seeking to protect margins already squeezed by weak demand, suppliers like Travis Perkins and kitchen specialist Howden Joinery are raising prices to pass on higher costs to customers.
Passing on Price Increases
"Against this market backdrop these (merchanting) businesses are making progress in passing through manufacturer price increases and delivering further procurement benefits," Travis Perkins said in a statement.
Howden Joinery's Performance
Price increases and demand for renovations helped kitchen supplier Howden Joinery report separately a 3.7% rise in first-quarter underlying revenue.
"We successfully implemented price increases across all geographies at the start of the year, as we continue to optimise the balance between margin and volume," Howden Joinery said in its April trading update.
Analyst Insights and Consumer Confidence
Investec analyst Aynsley Lammin said that the price increases at both companies are likely to hurt volume.
"As consumer confidence weakens and people kind of see pressure on their disposable income, they are just going to put off projects," Lammin said.
(Reporting by Simone Lobo in Bengaluru; Writing by Yadarisa Shabong; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala, Rashmi Aich and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
