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- UK Electrical Wholesalers Market Report 2023
Stay ahead of the curve and future-proof your business with Mintel’s UK Electrical Wholesalers Market Report 2023. Our full report is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, the latest UK electrical wholesale market trends and consumer behaviours affecting your business. Get a 360° view of the market, including market size, share and forecasted growth to help you align your business strategy with the needs of your audience.
Below, we’ve handpicked the key insights analysed in the full report and summarised the core topics.
Topics Analysed in this Report
- The performance of the UK electrical wholesale market and the outlook for the next five years.
- Developments in key end-use sectors and how they impact the UK electrical wholesale market.
- New product areas and diversification opportunities.
- The digitalisation challenge facing the UK electrical wholesale market.
- Financial performance of key industry players
UK Electrical Wholesale Market Outlook
High costs across all areas of the UK electrical wholesale market remain a key operational concern. The continued combined pressure of inflation, cost of living and higher borrowing costs will impact demand in the home construction and home improvement sectors. Commercial and industrial endues sectors also face severe pressure. Wholesalers must remain agile, flexible and responsive in order to meet the needs of a fluctuating market.
- UK electrical wholesale market size: The market is expected to remain broadly flat in 2023, forecasted at £4,073 million.
UK Electrical Wholesale Market Trends and Opportunities
Battling against online competition
Over recent years, electrical wholesalers have seen a rapid increase in online competition from the likes of Amazon and omnichannel retailers such as Screwfix and Toolstation. This has further exacerbated price pressures in the market. Demand for click-and-collect has remained strong post COVID-19, and the need for speed, flexibility and agility in the UK electrical wholesale market is higher than ever before. This requires wholesalers to invest not just in their online presence but also in their distribution operations to ensure speed and agility and provide greater product availability
Increased product diversification
Wholesalers are diversifying products, particularly in sustainable green energy, efficiency solutions and decarbonisation tech, to offset market challenges. The deployment of alternative energy sources also necessitates new functionalities, providing further diversification opportunities. Building automation and smart buildings offer growth opportunities, such as smart home tech, connected devices and HMI products.
To learn how to connect with your audience, purchase our full UK Electrical Wholesale Market Report 2023. Discover lucrative innovation opportunities to help your business grow during times of financial uncertainty.
Leading Brands in the UK Electrical Wholesale Market
Toolstation, Screwfix, Rexel, CEF Holdings, Cleveland Cable Co., Edmundson Elctrical, Eyre & Elliston Holdings.
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Expert Insights from a B2B Analyst
This report, written by Claudia Preedy, a leading B2B analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight trends in the UK electrical wholesale market and add expert context to the numbers.
On-demand delivery expectations by customers are growing and the need for speed, flexibility and agility in the market is higher than ever before. This requires electrical wholesalers to not just invest in their digital capabilities but also their distribution operations to meet the evolving market needs and provide greater product availability.”
Claudia Preedy
Principal B2B Analyst
Collapse All
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Overview
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
- The five-year outlook for UK electrical wholesalers
- Figure 1: Electrical wholesalers outlook, 2023-28
- The market
- Electrical wholesalers market expected to remain broadly flat in 2023
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- Figure 2: The UK electrical wholesalers market, 2018-27
- Digitalisation of the sector
- Focus on value-added services, expertise and customer experience can help wholesalers gain a competitive advantage
- Opportunities for product diversification
- Companies and brands
- Sector dominated by three groups
- EDA initiatives to support the digitalisation of the sector
- Product portfolio and innovation challenges
- The five-year outlook for UK electrical wholesalers
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Issues and Insights
- Digitalisation, speed, agility, service quality and local touch are key in highly competitive market
- New product categories driven by the decarbonisation and Net Zero agendas
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Market Size
- Market value up by 7% in 2022, partly fuelled by inflation
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- Figure 3: The UK electrical wholesalers market, 2018-22
- Market remains highly competitive
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- Figure 4: The UK electrical wholesalers market, 2018-22
- Market segmentation
- Figure 5: The UK electrical wholesalers market, by sector, 2022
- Figure 6: Product segmentation for UK electrical wholesalers market, 2022 (% of total market value)
- Cable management
- Circuit protection
- Lighting
- Heating and ventilation
- Trunking products
- Fire and security
- Wiring accessories
- Figure 7: UK electrical wholesalers’ sales of wiring accessories, by product type, 2022
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Market Forecast
- Electrical wholesalers are likely to see a more volatile market
- Figure 8: Electrical wholesalers outlook, 2023-28
- UK construction sector to experience a difficult 2023 before recovery
- Electrical wholesalers to see challenging market conditions in the short-term
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- Figure 9: Forecast UK electrical wholesalers market, 2023-27
- Figure 10: Forecast UK electrical wholesalers market, 2023-27
- Learnings from the last recession
- Figure 11: Industry performance following the last recession (£m), 2008-16
- Forecast methodology
- Electrical wholesalers are likely to see a more volatile market
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Market Trends
- Digitalisation
- Wholesalers can gain a competitive advantage over online-only competitors by focusing on value-added services, expertise and great customer experience
- EDA initiatives to support the digitalisation of the sector
- New areas and product diversification
- Data centres
- New product categories driven by the decarbonisation and Net Zero agendas
- Product portfolio and innovation challenges
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Market Drivers
- Electrical contracting
- Disrupted markets
- Figure 12: Segmentation of the electrical contracting market, by type of work, 2016-27
- New construction activity
- Figure 13: Segmentation of the electrical contracting market for new construction projects, 2022 (£ million)
- RMI demand
- Figure 14: Segmentation of electrical contracting R&M activity, 2022 (£ billion)
- Housebuilding
- The context
- Figure 15: Housing completions in England, by sector, 1962-2022 (number)
- Recent activity
- Figure 16: The new housebuilding market, 2017-22 (£ million and indexed against 2017)
- Segmentation
- Figure 17: Segmentation of the new housebuilding market, 2017-22 (£ million)
- Outlook
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- Figure 18: Forecast for new housebuilding market, 2022-27 (£ million)
- New public non-residential construction
- Government policy determines trends
- Figure 19: Long-term development of public non-residential construction, 1970-2022 (£ million)
- Recent activity
- Figure 20: The new public non-residential construction market, 2017-22 (£ million and indexed against 2017)
- Segmentation
- Figure 21: Segmentation of the public non-residential construction market, 2017-22 (£ million)
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- Figure 22: Department for Health and Social Care spending 2015-25
- Outlook
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- Figure 23: Forecast for public non-residential construction market, 2022-27 (£ million)
- New private industrial construction
- A changing sector
- Figure 24: Long-term development of industrial construction, 1970-2022 (£ million)
- Recent activity
- Figure 25: The new industrial construction market, 2017-22 (£ million and indexed against 2017)
- Segmentation
- Figure 26: Segmentation of the industrial construction market, 2017-22 (£ million)
- Outlook
- Figure 27: Forecast for industrial construction market, 2022-27 (£ million)
- New private commercial construction
- A sensitive sector
- Figure 28: Long-term development of commercial construction, 1970-2022 (£ million)
- Recent activity
- Figure 29: The new commercial construction market, 2017-22 (£ million and indexed against 2017)
- Segmentation
- Figure 30: Segmentation of the commercial construction market, 2017-22 (£ million)
- Outlook
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- Figure 31: Forecast for commercial construction market, 2022-27 (£ million)
- Data centres
- Figure 32: Market size for data centres, 2016-21
- New infrastructure
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- Figure 33: Civil engineering construction output in Great Britain, 2018-22
- Figure 34: Civil engineering construction output in Great Britain, by sector, 2018-22
- Outlook
- Figure 35: New civil engineering construction output in Great Britain, 2018-27
- Repair, maintenance and improvement activity
- Public housing
- Figure 36: RMI expenditure on public housing, 2017-22 (£ million)
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- Figure 37: Forecast RMI expenditure on public housing, 2022-27 (£ million)
- Private housing
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- Figure 38: RMI expenditure on private housing, 2017-22 (£ million)
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- Figure 39: Forecast RMI expenditure on private housing, 2022-27 (£ million)
- Private non-residential
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- Figure 40: RMI expenditure on private non-residential buildings, 2017-22 (£ million)
- Figure 41: Forecast RMI expenditure on private non-residential construction, 2022-27 (£ million)
- Public non-residential
- Figure 42: RMI expenditure on public non-residential buildings, 2017-22 (£ million)
- Figure 43: Forecast RMI expenditure on public non-residential construction, 2022-27 (£ million)
- The smart home devices market
- Ownership and interest in buying smart home devices
- Figure 44: Ownership of connected home devices, 2022
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- Figure 45: Interest in buying connected home devices, 2022
- Electric and hybrid cars market
- Figure 46: Hybrid and electric car registrations, 2017-22
- Residential solar PV market
- Residential solar PV market starts to recover following closure of FiT scheme
- Figure 47: Residential photovoltaic installation capacity installed in the UK, 2017-22
- Post-subsidy market to be driven by solar-plus-storage systems and growing EV market
- Government aims for five-fold increase in UK solar PV capacity by 2035
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Industry Structure
- Industry overview
- Rise in omnichannel competition
- But branch network that is close to customers remains key
- Industry development
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Company Profiles
- CEF Holdings
- CEF parent company acquires Segen Group
- Financial performance
- Figure 48: Financial analysis of CEF Holdings, 2018-22
- Company strategy
- Cleveland Cable Co.
- Financial performance
- Figure 49: Financial analysis of Cleveland Cable Company, 2018-22
- Company strategy
- Edmundson Electrical
- Financial performance
- Figure 50: Financial analysis of Edmundson electrical, 2017-21
- Company strategy
- Eyre & Elliston Holdings
- Financial performance
- Figure 51: Financial analysis of Eyre & Elliston Holdings, 2017-21
- Company strategy
- Rexel UK
- Company’s portfolio of brands brought together under a single brand
- Rexel launches new smart home offer to support growing demand for smart technology
- Rexel UK partners with GOPHR to launch ‘Rexel Rapid’ delivery service
- Rexel opens new state-of-the-art distribution centre in 2023
- Financial performance
- Figure 52: Financial analysis of Rexel UK, 2017-21
- Company strategy
- Stearn Electric Co.
- Financial performance
- Figure 53: Financial analysis of Stearn Electric Company, 2017-21
- Company strategy
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Abbreviations
- Methodology
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Further Sources and Contacts
- Trade associations
- Trade magazines
- Trade events
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