TIMBER A
s timber takes on a bigger role in UK construction, expectations of suppliers are shifting. Merchants and specifiers are not just sourcing products, they are managing risk. The suppliers that stand out are offering clear information, dependable quality, and helping to eliminate costly issues across the supply chain. As the industry leans further into lower- carbon construction and faster build methods, timber is fast becoming a core part of how projects are delivered. That shift brings greater scrutiny and means merchants and specifiers are under more pressure to make the right choices, first time. After all, when timber goes wrong, the impact is rarely contained, leading to delays, rework and added cost. In turn, they need more from their suppliers than just product availability and price. At Think Timber, we are seeing this change play out every day. Conversations are no longer just about supply: they are centred around certainty. Certainty that the product is suitable, that the data stacks up, and that decisions made early in a project will not create problems further down the line.
Better information
Merchants need to sell with confidence, and specifiers need to compare options properly and make decisions that will stand up to scrutiny later. In both cases, clear, accessible and reliable data is essential to making sound commercial decisions.
Too often, information is still difficult to use in practice. Technical documents can be hard to find or overly complex, leaving merchants without clear answers for customers on suitability, handling or standards. At the same time, specifiers are often working from broad claims rather than the level of detail needed to properly assess options and compare like for like.
Traceability and legality Merchants and specifiers both need to be confident that the timber they are buying or specifying is responsibly sourced and fully compliant. When that information is unclear or difficult to verify, the risk does not stay with the supplier – it moves down the chain. From our experience at Think Timber, decision-making is only as good as the information behind it. That means product data needs to be practical, accessible and relevant to real-world use, provided clearly upfront so specifiers can make informed decisions early and merchants can support them with confidence.
For merchants, inconsistent product quality creates risk in the form of returns, complaints
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WHAT DO MERCHANTS WANT IN 26?
Gav Brown, managing director at Think Timber, strategic partners to the timber staircase sector, looks at what merchants might need from suppliers.
once. It is about delivering the same result, time after time. For Think Timber, our whole ethos is around ensuring what is specified is what turns up on site. It’s this reliability that allows merchants to stock with confidence and specifiers to write specifications that hold up on site.
As more projects turn to timber, this consistency becomes even more important. Many customers are still building their understanding of timber systems and products. If their early experiences are unpredictable, confidence in timber as a whole can be undermined.
Sustainability
Timber has a strong role to play in lower- carbon construction, but broad environmental claims are not enough on their own. Merchants and specifiers are being asked more detailed questions around embodied carbon and overall environmental performance. They don’t need to become specialists in carbon accounting of course – but what they do need is suppliers who can provide clear, current and credible answers when those questions arise.
and lost trust with customers. For specifiers, it can create hesitation, particularly where there are concerns around substitutions, variable grading or incomplete documentation. Quality is not just about meeting a standard
What’s needed in 2026? Put simply, merchants and specifiers need suppliers who make good decisions easier by providing clear, usable information, delivering consistent quality, and treating traceability, legality and sustainability as standard. Above all, they need suppliers who reduce friction across the process rather than add to it. As timber’s role in construction grows, the suppliers that stand out will be those who make life easier for merchants and specifiers – not simply those who compete on price. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net June 2026
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