Do Builder’s Merchants Offer Better Deals?
If you’re new to the building trade, or else you’ve just started up your own business, then you may be wondering what the difference between a builder’s merchant and a normal DIY shop is. After all, for the most part, they both sell the same products so if one is better value than the other then why doesn’t everyone shop there?
Today, we’ll be exploring the difference between DIY shops and builder’s merchants, and which is likely to offer you the best deal.
The DIY Market
The line between professional tradesmen and DIY may not be as blurred as it once was, but there’s still a fair number of people with the skills and know-how to do their own building work. Indeed, some would argue that – with the internet and the widespread, fast access to knowledge – it’s easier now than ever before to teach yourself these skills and, as such, it’s unlikely that the market for DIY is going away any time soon.
That being said, there’s a big difference between putting up a shed or painting a wall, and assembling a house – even if many of the materials are the same, which brings us to the importance of builder’s merchants and wholesale goods.
The Value Of Wholesale Goods
Everyone knows that buying wholesale goods will get you far better value for money than buying individually, but for many small-scale or self-employed contractors, there’s a problem. Depending on the scale of your business, buying wholesale might not be sensible or feasible. After all, contractors tend to work on a huge variety of jobs but don’t necessarily have a large storage capacity on hand.
This is where builder’s merchants fill an important niche in the market. Builder’s merchants are able to cater to a wide scale of custom, handling both wholesale buyers and smaller customers, which allows contractors to tailor their orders to the job at hand.
Specialist Products
It’s also worth noting that, while there’s a lot of crossover between DIY shops and builder’s merchants, the two don’t always sell the same goods. DIY shops tend to branch over into home and garden supplies such as barbecues and kitchen appliances while builder’s merchants have a much stronger focus on trade goods as well as some specialist products you probably wouldn’t be able to get hold of in the former.
Ultimately, both DIY stores and builder’s merchants have their place but for professional tradespeople, merchants are almost always the way to go. Not only will they cater directly to your needs but they’ll be able to give you the best value for money on all the high-quality products and materials you could need.
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