For installers and tradespeople, a good merchant has always offered more than just somewhere to pick up materials. Expert product knowledge, availability, advice and, importantly, a relationship with people who understand the realities of the job can all make a difference to the working day.
And new research suggests the independent merchant continues to hold an important place in the trade.
The TradeBrain Pulse Report Q2 2026, based on the views of 2,362 UK tradespeople, found that 18.3% name local independent merchants as their main source of supply, putting independents second overall. TradeBrain says the finding is a reminder that “local relationships still anchor a huge share of trade spend”.
Local relationships carry weight
That strength isn’t only evident in where tradespeople spend their money. When asked which company best understands their business needs, local independent merchants ranked second overall at 11.4%, placing them ahead of a host of major national merchant brands.
TradeBrain says the result is a reminder that relationships “built branch by branch still carry real weight”.
This is a particularly significant finding given the make-up of the UK trade. More than half (53.3%) of TradeBrain respondents are self-employed, while 44.4% are sole traders and 67.8% don’t employ anyone else.
For those people running small businesses, time spent sourcing materials is time away from the job. Having a local merchant that knows its customers and can provide knowledgeable advice can therefore have a value far beyond the transaction itself.
That specialist advice becomes even more important in today’s challenging market. Almost two thirds (63.7%) of tradespeople expect rising material and tool costs to affect them over the next year, making it the biggest issue identified in the report. That figure has increased from 60.3% in Q1.
There is uncertainty around workloads too. Around one-third of respondents say their next project is worth less than £5,000, while 30.6% aren’t sure what their next project will be worth. TradeBrain says this is contributing to more last minute, project-by-project purchasing,making “availability, flexibility and advice more valuable than ever”.
Those are qualities that play naturally to the strengths of independent merchants. Being close to the customers they serve can allow independents to understand local demand, develop long-term relationships and provide the personal, knowledgeable service that tradespeople value.
Going beyond the price
Crucially, the research also shows that purchasing isn’t all about securing the lowest price. Quality actually edges price as the strongest purchasing driver, with availability and service or guarantee close behind.
And, despite the rise of digital purchasing, the branch remains central to trade life. Nearly half of respondents (46.3%) typically buy the products they need between 6am and 9am, reflecting those all-important pre-job purchases. Meanwhile, TradeBrain reports that the proportion of the trade spend going online has plateaued, with in-branch buying still doing the heavy lifting.
THE INDEPENDENT MERCHANT ISN’T SIMPLY SOMEWHERE TO BUY PRODUCTS. IT’S A TRUSTED PARTNER THAT UNDERSTANDS THE TRADE, KNOWS ITS CUSTOMERS AND HELPS THEM GET THE JOB DONE.
Taken together, these findings make a compelling case for the continued importance of the independent merchant. In a market where tradespeople are watching costs, buying closer to individual jobs and placing more value on availability, flexibility and advice, local knowledge and trusted relationships matter.
For installers, the independent merchant isn’t simply somewhere to buy products. At its best, it’s a trusted partner that understands the trade, knows its customers and helps them get the job done.