6 | UK News
Latest TIMCON pallet figures highlight strong reuse trend in UK supply chains
The latest figures were presented to delegates at TIMCON’s AGM at the Westminster Hotel in London, by Guy Watt of John Clegg Consulting, who carried out the study. They show that, during 2024, an estimated 53.9 million wooden pallets were inspected and repaired in the UK market, close to the 54.1m estimate the previous year.
New pallet manufacture rose 11%, from
Above: The TIMCON AGM was held at Westminster Hall in London
The wooden pallet industry is continuing to drive reuse in UK supply chains, according to latest annual market figures. According to the 2024 UK Wood Pallets
& Packaging Market, an independent study commissioned jointly by the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) and the Forestry Commission, pallet reuse is continuing its upward trend.
41.7 million in 2023 to 46.3 million in 2024.
The survey found that respondents consider the sourcing and retention of good-quality staff to be the most important factor that will impact on their business in the year ahead, the same as in the previous year’s study.
This was followed by increasing costs and inflation; strong competition; general economic uncertainty; and difficulties in the availability and price of timber. Now in its 10th year, the annual market
CPA report says construction slowdown due to pre-Autumn Budget uncertainty
The Construction Products Associations (CPA) has substantially downgraded its forecasts amid growing risks and uncertainty surrounding the Government’s impending tax rises in the Autumn Budget and their impact on the wider UK economy. The CPA’s Autumn Forecasts show total construction output is now only forecast to grow by 1.1% in 2025 and 2.8% in 2026, which is a significant revision down from the 1.9% in 2025 and 3.7% in 2026 in the previous forecast.
Firms from across the construction supply chain are reporting that activity has slowed since the Spring, particularly in private housing, infrastructure roads, and commercial new build offices. Confidence among homebuyers, homeowners, and investors is weak; this has been exacerbated by uncertainty over the upcoming Autumn Budget and who will bear the brunt of the inevitable tax increases and potential spending cuts. The CPA has taken account of the pre- Budget uncertainty in its latest forecasts but, like all economic forecasters, will not be able to take account of the tax rises and spending cuts until they are confirmed on 26 November.
In private housing, which is the largest
sector of construction, output is forecast to rise by 2.0% in 2025 and 4.0% in 2026, a revision down from the previous forecast of 4.0% in 2025 and 7.0% in 2026. After large falls in demand between 2022 and 2024, house builders continue to highlight that demand and affordability remain the biggest challenges in areas of the country where house prices are higher, even as interest and mortgage rates have fallen.
In private housing repair, maintenance and improvement (rm&i), despite sustained real wage growth, many households have continued to save. The CPA said a sustained recovery in private housing rm&i will only occur when homeowners felt confident enough to commit to large, discretionary spending such as home extensions and renovations. It says this is unlikely to be before the Autumn Budget, given uncertainty over whether households will face tax increases, which suggests a recovery from Spring 2026 at the earliest.
“The effects of pre-Budget uncertainty are being felt now but the impact of the Budget tax rises will be felt most strongly as we head into 2026,” said CPA Head of Construction Research, Rebecca Larkin.
TTJ | November/December 2025 |
www.ttjonline.com
report is based on a survey of TIMCON members, who are estimated to account for between 70 - 80% of the UK market overall.
“It’s encouraging to see another year of strong reuse, which is a well-established and major part of businesses’ strategies in supply chains from the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) and drinks sectors to pharmaceuticals and construction,” said TIMCON president John Dye. “Reuse of these essential assets makes companies more efficient and at a time when sustainability-focused legislation is rolling out in the UK, the EU, and beyond, it boosts their environmental performance, too.
TIMCON’s AGM also featured several presentations, including one by Thierry Moubax, CEO and co-founder of AI Compass, which detailed the ways in which AI will transform the pallet and packaging sector.
Pfeifer strengthens its presence on the UK market
As part of its international growth strategy, the Austrian Pfeifer Group has opened a sales office with warehouse facilities in the United Kingdom.
The newly established Pfeifer Timber UK Ltd will in future supply both existing customers and new target groups more quickly and efficiently – initially with high-quality sawn timber from its Finnish subsidiary brand Pölkky.
The new sales office is strategically located in the county of Lincolnshire in eastern England and expands the network of Pfeifer, the Central European market leader.
“This marks the next strategic phase of our market development in the United Kingdom. We are currently preparing a warehouse concept that will create a second sales channel – closer to our customers and with significantly greater flexibility in pricing and delivery times,” said CEO Michael Pfeifer.
He regards the sales office an important step in further market development in the UK. Pfeifer aims to initially supply the UK market with high-quality sawn timber from its Finnish subsidiary brand Pölkky.
UK News
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