Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Grafton Group, the Dublin-based builders and plumbers merchant company group saw a strong performance from its UK businesses offsetting weakness in Ireland.
Group turnover was €997m (£893m), compared to €979m in the first half of 2010.
The firm, whose UK subsidiary Grafton Merchanting GB trades under the Buildbase, Plumbase and Jackson brands and which also includes Selco, increased daily turnover in the UK by 4.7% but Irish turnover for the half year fell by 6%.
The firm said in its update: “The trading environment in the Group’s key markets is proving slow to recover to more normal conditions in light of the continuation of weak mortgage lending and low levels of consumer confidence. However, the Group continues to significantly improve its trading performance from the historically low levels of the recession.”
