LANDSCAPING
FROM COMMODITY TO CONSIDERED
BMJ talks to Long Rake Spar about how premium landscaping is reshaping merchant margins.
F
or builders’ merchants, landscaping remains one of the few categories where value can still be created rather than simply chased. While core construction materials continue to be driven by price, availability and volume, landscaping is increasingly defined by margin, presentation and considered choice.
Premium aggregates Over the past few seasons, a clear pattern has emerged across the merchant sector: premium landscaping products are becoming the commercial baseline for merchants looking to protect margin and increase average transaction value.
Long Rake Spar marketing manager, Tammy Tidmarsh, explains; “Across our merchant network, premium decorative aggregates consistently outperform traditional commodity lines. This is not always reflected in raw tonnage, but in profitability, additional sales of complementary products and customer satisfaction. Premium aggregates and coordinated aggregate families are driving stronger returns per square metre, particularly when positioned correctly alongside paving and landscaping accessories.
“This is not about abandoning entry- level products. There will always be demand for functional, cost-led materials. However, merchants who focus only on standard aggregates risk leaving margin and differentiation on the table. Premium ranges deliver stronger profits, lower price sensitivity and clearer distinction, particularly in competitive local markets where customers have multiple buying options within a short drive.”
Porcelain paving has changed customer expectations One of the most influential shifts shaping aggregate demand has come from outside the category itself. The rise of porcelain paving has fundamentally changed how end users approach garden design.
Tidmarsh continues: “Customers investing £20–£40 per square metre in porcelain
are no longer prepared to compromise on finishing details. Aggregates are no longer an afterthought used to fill borders or drainage runs; they are part of the overall design language of the space. As a result, merchants are seeing increased demand for aggregates that complement porcelain, with cleaner finishes, consistent grading and colours that enhance.”
Lighter colours
Another notable development is the return of lighter and warmer aggregate tones. Tidmarsh claims customers are once again gravitating towards colours that reflect light, soften contemporary schemes and work well in smaller or shaded spaces.
“Mediterranean influence has accelerated this trend over the past year, driven by modern architectural landscaping and lifestyle-led garden design and a growing appetite for outdoor spaces that feel relaxed, liveable and intentional. “For merchants, lighter aggregates offer clear commercial and practical advantages: they display well, photograph beautifully and highlight the subtle tones and textures that customers are increasingly looking for in modern landscaping. More importantly, this trend signals a shift from commodity-led stocking towards curated, margin-positive ranges that support considered choice. Merchants who adapt are seeing longer dwell time at displays and higher average order values.”
Coordinated ranges
Choice is important, but excessive choice can slow down decision-making at the counter. Merchants are seeing growing success with coordinated aggregate families (ranges where chippings, pebbles and sometime cobbles share a consistent colour and material type). Tidmarsh says these ranges simplify selling for staff and customers alike. “They encourage linked purchases and allow customers to visualise finished spaces more clearly. The result is higher average transaction values and fewer abandoned decisions.
One of the clearest differentiators between merchants succeeding in premium landscaping
March 2026
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
and those struggling, is presentation. Winning merchants do not treat decorative aggregates as yard stock alone, they treat them as retail products.
That means giving premium ranges visible, accessible space; allowing customers to see, touch and compare materials; supporting sales conversations with clear displays and samples; and training staff to sell outcomes and aesthetics rather than weight and coverage alone.
Margin protection
With ongoing cost pressures across labour, transport and overheads, merchants are rightly cautious about where they invest space and working capital. Premium landscaping offers a rare opportunity to protect and improve margin without increasing operational complexity. Decorative aggregates are straightforward to handle, have a long shelf life and integrate naturally with existing landscaping ranges. When positioned alongside paving, edging, membranes and accessories, they become part of a higher- value solution rather than a standalone product.
Looking ahead
The direction of travel is clear. Premium landscaping is being shaped by customer expectations, design- led purchasing and the continued influence of porcelain paving.
“For builders’ merchants, the question is no longer whether premium decorative aggregates deserve space, but how effectively they are ranged, presented and sold,” concludes Tidmarsh. BMJ
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