COMMENT Same old, same old “ S


o, here we are. This time last year we were bounding along, buoyed up by the thumping great majority that our flaxen-haired Great Leader had coaxed out of voters in The North, safe in the knowledge that we were on the homeward stretch with Brexit.


We knew, in January, that we had a year to get our stuff together, to negotiate and discuss, to work out the best way of ensuring that the results of the referendum in 2016 were upheld without throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. And for a few weeks, that was all we had to worry about. Then Covid.


A virus that in February looked as though it might be kept in check as long as we all stayed sensible, washed our hands regularly and kept to basic, common-sense distances from each other turned very quickly to have other ideas.


From the should-we-shouldn’t-we decision of whether to hold the Cheltenham Festival and the Champions League match (in hindsight: no) and the should-we-shouldn’t-we close our borders to travellers from infected countries (in hindsight: probably would have been a good idea, if hugely impractical) we quickly moved into total lockdown. By the end of March, we were in don’t-go- anywhere-unless-you-absolutely-have-to-territory and queueing up for 45 minutes to buy bread and loo-roll in Asda. Ever get that sense of deja-vu? The long term cost of the pandemic can only really be guessed at. Physically, we have Long Covid and the physiological effects which are hitting people long after the initial infection has gone. Mentally, we have the empty spaces in the hearts and lives of those of us who have lost loved ones either through Covid or through its cataclysmic effect on the Health Service’s ability to cope with other illnesses. Economically, Rishi Sunak’s furlough scheme was a God-send for a great many businesses (though not if you are self-employed),


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but it cost so much money and the reckoning for that will reverberate through the coming decades. It saved a lot of jobs, certainly, It was also abused by some businesses who simply saw it as a way of getting the tax-payer to pick up the bill for as long as they could get away with it.


It has been said before, but I think it deserves repeating, the BMF and the Construction Leadership Council played a blinder, working with Government to ensure that this industry could keep working where safe to do so. Enough merchanting jobs went as it was last year. I hate to think how many more would have gone had that not happened. Which brings me onto this BMJ issue, the one where we feature our annual League Tables, a guide to who turned over what and how they all compare. We can only use the figures we access via Companies House, so some are more up-to- date than others. We won’t see the real effect of the Covid pandemic until next year’s League Tables but it’s certain that the list will look very different. Acquisitions and sell-offs have continued throughout the year, pandemic or no pandemic, and it’s pretty safe to assume that they will continue to do so this year.


In the mean time though, we still have the latest lockdown to get through. We will get there. The vaccine is out there, it is being administered at a rate far, far faster than that of any other European country. I’m sure I’m not the only one who checks the level of infections in the local area daily as well as that website that tells your when you might be able to receive a vaccine, based on age and health status. Although, as a middle-aged, healthy, non- key-worker female, my upper arm is safe for most of this year. Keep the faith, mask up, wash your hands and hang in there. BMJ


Fiona Russell-Horne Editor-in-Chief - BMJ


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COMMENT


They answered as they took their fees; there is no cure for this disease.


Hilaire Belloc CONTENTS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT


NBG: Building Strong Brands


BMJ was asked to produce a supplement on NBG’s behalf, looking at how the Central Team, Partners and Suppliers have all pulled together to ensure strong brands and better buying throughout the lockdowns.


4 The Month


What’s happening out there? 6 People


Who’s now working where?


8 Business Helpdesk Employment rules are changing.


10 Viewpoint Our guest commentators on increasing your stock confidence, insulation and digital issues


14 Sustainability How can the construction industry can help to reduce its impact on the planet.


18 Workwear


Sustainability and the workwear sector.


19 Security Focus Fencing could be a growth area for merchants as BMJ finds out.


20 MERCHANT LEAGUE TABLES Benchmarking is vital to get a clear picture of where a company fits into the industry.


23 Ironmongery Making the most of upmarket ironmongery opportunities


24 BMF Industry Voice News from the BMF.


26 Product News The latest innovations.


30 And Finally News and the crossword.


January 2021 www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 3


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