Author: Mintel Group Ltd.
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Plumbing Products - UK - August 2015
Introduction 
 
Definitions 
This report covers the UK market and industry for plumbing products - comprising domestic central heating products, commercial heating products, water heating products, bathroom and sanitaryware products, tubes, pipes and fittings, and kitchen products.

For the purposes of this report, the UK domestic central heating market has been defined as follows:

●	Boilers
●	Radiators
●	Heat Controls
●	Pumps

The UK commercial heating market has been defined as follows:

●	Commercial Boilers
●	Steel Radiators
●	Other Radiators
●	Heat Emitters
●	Warm Air Heaters
●	Radiant Heaters

The UK bathroom and sanitaryware market has been defined as follows:

●	Baths
●	Sanitaryware
●	Sinks
●	Taps & Mixers
●	Showers
●	Bathroom Accessories

The UK tubes, pipes and fittings market for plumbing has been defined as follows:

●	Copper Tube
●	Copper Fittings
●	Plastic Pressure Pipes & Fittings
●	Plastic Non-Pressure Pipes & Fittings

Methodology 
Reports are researched and written by MBD’s in-house, specialist business-to-business consultants. Research is based on both an analysis of official information and on original trade research, providing both a quantitative and qualitative view of the market. MBD’s unique range of frequently updated reports provide an integrated body of on-going research, enabling deep understanding of the prevailing trends and drivers of these trends based on trade opinion.

Abbreviations 
The following abbreviations appear in this report:

BCM | Business Confidence Monitor
BOE | Bank of England
CBI | Confederation of British Industry
CIPS/NTC | Chartered Institute of Purchasing Suppliers/NTC
CPI | Consumer Prices Index
DIY | Do-it-yourself
EEF | Engineering Employers Federation
EU | European Union
GDP | gross domestic product
HICP | Harmonised Index of Consumer Spending
ICAEW | Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
LA | Local Authority
MBP | maximum burst pressure
MSP | manufacturer's selling price
neg | negligible
n/a | not available
n/c | no change
ODPM | Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
OP | Operating Profit
PTP | Pre-tax Profit
RHB | Regional Housing Boards
RICS | Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
RPI | Retail Price Index
RPIX | Retail Price Index excluding Mortgage Interest Payments
T/o | Turnover
UK | United Kingdom

Market positioning and issues in the market 
The fortunes of the UK plumbing products industry are partly dependent on the new construction market, which has been strongly affected by the banking crisis, subsequent economic downturn, and flat economy. Demand has generally been more steady in the refurbishment sector, though austerity has encouraged delays in discretionary spending.

This report addresses the following key questions concerning the plumbing products markets:

●	How strongly will the market develop over the next five years?
●	Is that growth sustainable over the entire five years and what will be the market drivers?
●	Which regions hold the best prospects?
●	Which product sectors now hold the best prospects?
●	How have companies involved in the market faired during the downturn that followed 2008?

Market factors 
The construction industry has a reputation for being highly cyclical, and growth or declines tend to exaggerate specific GDP development. This was very evident during the historic boom/bust years, and while some argued that the cyclicality of the market subsequently declined, this only reflected the more even GDP development. Consequently, the economic difficulties caused by the collapse of the financial sector have had a marked impact on construction industry output.

Certain sectors are also significantly influenced by government policy and public spending. In the past, this has often not reflected economic activity, giving sectors a cushion from overall development, but the current economic turmoil has been of such magnitude that the government has been forced to reduce public expenditure irrespective of political policy.

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