The Big Builders' Merchants Compared

The UK builders’ merchant sector is dominated by a handful of large groups, each with hundreds of branches, and supported by a network of regional independents. They all sell broadly similar products, timber, blocks, roofing, insulation, drainage, but their business models, strengths and pricing structures differ in ways that matter when you are choosing where to open an account or place a large order.

This guide describes the main players factually and impartially. We do not rank them or recommend one over another, because the right merchant depends on your location, your trade, your project size and the service your local branch happens to deliver.

The Main Groups

Branch counts approximate as of 2026; networks change through acquisitions and openings.

Travis Perkins

Travis Perkins plc calls itself the UK’s largest distributor of building materials.¹ Travis Perkins describes itself as the UK’s market-leading general builders’ merchant, trading from 579 locations.¹ Its branches are widespread across England, Scotland and Wales, making it the most likely choice for a builder who needs national coverage and consistent terms across multiple sites.

The model is a traditional general builders’ merchant with a covered trade counter and an open yard. Stock depth is generally strong across timber, sheet materials, heavyside goods (blocks, bricks, aggregates) and drainage. The group also runs Toolstation and CCF, which distributes insulation and interior building products, as separate businesses, and offers kitchens through its Benchmarx brand.¹

Pricing is account-driven. A trade credit account opens at branch level, and negotiated discounts tend to reflect the volume of business done with that specific branch rather than the group as a whole. For multi-site contractors, national account arrangements exist but require significant spend to qualify.

Jewson

Jewson was owned by Saint-Gobain from 2000 until it was sold to the Copenhagen-based STARK Group in a £740 million deal.² It operates a similar general-merchant model to Travis Perkins and is its closest direct competitor in terms of product breadth, trading from over 400 branches.³ Jewson opened its first branch in 1836.³

Like Travis Perkins, Jewson branches are independently managed within a national framework, so service quality and pricing negotiability vary by branch and account manager. Both groups have invested significantly in digital ordering and account management tools in recent years.

Buildbase

Buildbase was part of Grafton Group until Grafton sold its GB traditional merchanting business, Buildbase included, to Huws Gray in a £520 million deal completed on 31 December 2021.⁴ The businesses sold comprised approximately 200 merchant branches and 3,500 people.⁴ It operates as a general merchant within the Huws Gray group. It functions similarly to Travis Perkins and Jewson in terms of product range and trade counter model, but branches are often smaller and more community-focused. For a local builder with most of their work in one town, a Buildbase branch may offer a closer relationship than a larger national group.

Selco Builders Warehouse

Selco operates a distinctly different model: large warehouse-format stores designed for trade customers to self-select and collect, closer to a trade cash-and-carry than a traditional merchant.⁵ Stock is displayed on high-bay racking, prices are fixed (though account pricing may differ), and the emphasis is on rapid collection rather than counter service.

Key characteristics:

• Large, clearly priced stock on display, useful for comparing products and sizes quickly
• Trade card required: Selco serves trade and business customers only⁵
• No traditional yard: heavy goods are loaded directly from the warehouse floor
• Delivery is available, free on online orders over £150 ex VAT⁶
• Strong on timber, sheet materials, insulation, dry lining and plumbing
• 74 branches in Great Britain, 32 of them in London⁵

For builders who value speed of collection, visible pricing and a self-service experience, Selco is distinctive. For trades needing a delivery relationship or specialist yard goods, a traditional merchant may serve better.

MKM Building Supplies

MKM opened its first branch, in Hull, in 1995 and has grown to over 140 branches.⁷⁸ It opened its 143rd branch, in Luton, in March 2026.⁹ It is privately owned: Bain Capital bought the stakes held by 3i and LDC in 2017, with management keeping a significant shareholding.⁷ Its model emphasises local branch autonomy: every branch is led by a local branch director, a model that began when the founder gave the manager of the second branch a stake in it, and it is designed to produce more consistent service and more relationship-led account management than a centrally managed chain.⁸

MKM stocks a full general merchant range and is competitive on timber, heavyside and roofing. Its local branch-director model is meant to make account management more responsive, and smaller contractors may find it easier to negotiate pricing and resolve issues than at the largest nationals.

Huws Gray

Huws Gray was founded on Anglesey in 1990 and now has over 330 branches and distribution centres across the UK.¹⁰ By July 2021, when it agreed to buy Grafton’s GB merchanting businesses, Huws Gray was controlled by equity funds managed by Blackstone. It has expanded across England through a series of acquisitions, the largest being Grafton’s Buildbase business.⁴ It operates a traditional trade merchant model and describes itself as having a strong focus on customer service, local expertise and product range.¹⁰

As with any group that has grown quickly by acquisition, service can vary between branches, so judge a Huws Gray branch in England on its own merits.

Wickes

Wickes, which ended 2025 with 230 stores, sits between the two worlds: a hybrid merchant-retailer serving both professional contractors and homeowners.¹¹ Its branches are smaller than a traditional merchant’s yard and carry a consumer-accessible range, but trade customers are served through its TradePro scheme, which had 643,000 active members at the end of 2025.¹¹ For small-to-medium contractors who also need a showroom element (kitchens, bathrooms, tiles), Wickes offers a convenient one-stop shop.

Wickes is less strong than the pure merchants on heavyside materials (blocks, aggregates, structural timber) and should not be the primary merchant for a builder needing a full-service account relationship.

How to Choose Between Them

There is no universally best merchant. The practical factors that matter are:

Branch proximity and hours. A merchant you can reach by 07:30 is more useful than a slightly cheaper one across town.

Service at your specific branch. National reputation and local branch quality can diverge significantly. Ask other local contractors who they use and why.

Product range for your trade. A heating engineer’s priorities differ from a groundworker’s. Check that your primary merchant stocks the specific products you buy most.

Account terms and credit limit. Compare what credit limit and payment terms each merchant offers at the outset and how quickly they raise limits for reliable payers.

Delivery capability. If you need regular deliveries, timed drops, crane-offload or multi-drop routes, confirm that the branch’s delivery fleet can handle your requirements.

Regional independents are also worth considering alongside the nationals. A well-run independent merchant in your area may offer more flexible pricing, longer-standing relationships and willingness to source non-standard items on request. The national groups’ main advantage is coverage: if your work is spread across multiple areas, a national account simplifies purchasing administration considerably.