Lords Group Trading

Name

Lords Group Trading

Legal name

Lords Group Trading plc

Website

https://lordsgrouptradingplc.co.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lords Group Trading plc is a UK specialist distributor of building materials, plumbing, heating and DIY goods, operating through 51 sites across three divisions: Merchanting branches, Plumbing & Heating depots, and the CMO Superstores digital platform of nine e-commerce websites with 140,000+ products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Building Materials Distribution (Merchanting): Supplies building materials and DIY goods through a network of merchant businesses and online platform capabilities. Operates in 'light side' (building materials and timber) and 'heavy side' (civils and landscaping) across 32+ locations in the UK. Revenue was £195 million for first 5 months of 2026, with Merchanting division 4% lower year-on-year. Record FY25 revenue of £472.8 million representing 8.3% year-on-year increase.
2. Plumbing & Heating Distribution: Specialist distributor of plumbing and heating products to a UK network of independent merchants, installers and the general public. Division revenue was 14% below prior year comparator in the first 5 months of 2026, reflecting softer market demand and subdued consumer spending on discretionary heating upgrades. Division operates over 16 locations enabling nationwide next-day delivery.
3. Digital / CMO Superstores E-Commerce: Market-leading e-commerce platform providing an online route to market from nine specialist websites for construction and plumbing & heating customers. CMO division showed 7% revenue growth in first 5 months of 2026 following its acquisition in June 2025, with positive EBITDA achieved. Over 140,000 listed products serving UK homeowners and trade professionals.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lords Group Trading is a UK specialist distributor of building materials, plumbing, heating, and DIY goods operating through three divisions: Merchanting (32-33 branches supplying light-side building materials, timber, and heavy-side civils/landscaping products), Plumbing & Heating (16+ branches serving independent merchants, installers, and the public with nationwide next-day delivery), and Digital (CMO Superstores, a market-leading e-commerce platform with nine specialist websites and over 140,000 listed products). The Group serves local tradesmen, plumbing & heating merchants, construction companies, and the general public from approximately 51 UK sites.

Product overview

Lords Group Trading operates as a specialist distributor of building, plumbing, heating and DIY goods through three distinct divisions: the Merchanting Division (building materials and DIY across 32-33 UK locations), the Plumbing and Heating Division (specialist distributor across 16+ locations with nationwide next-day delivery), and the Digital Division (CMO Superstores - nine specialist e-commerce websites with 140,000+ products). The company sells to local tradesmen, small to medium sized plumbing and heating merchants, construction companies, and directly to the general public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CMO: Market-leading e-commerce only platform serving UK homeowners and trade professionals through a suite of specialist Superstore websites with over 140,000 listed products.
• CMO Superstores

Products and services

• Merchanting Division

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue of £472.8 million in FY25, an 8.3% year-on-year increase
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Construction Materials Online (CMO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2025Lords strategically acquired the trade and assets of Construction Materials Online (CMO) in June 2025 for £1.8 million. CMO is a market-leading e-commerce platform with nine specialist websites and over 140,000 listed products. The acquisition added a loss-making business from pre-pack administration, restored supplier product availability, reduced customer refunds to industry norms, lowered operating expenses, and resulted in positive EBITDA during the first five months of 2026 with 7% revenue growth year-on-year.
• Construction Inclusion Coalition (CIC)minorOthers · 6 September 2024Lords joined the Construction Inclusion Coalition in September 2024 as a Coalition Member. The CIC was launched in September 2023 by CEOs of leading organisations in the sector including Aliaxis, Baxi, Bradfords, Highbourne Group, Ibstock PLC, Knauf, Travis Perkins PLC, Wavin, Wolseley, the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), and the National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS). The coalition is endorsed by the Construction Leadership Council and focuses on improving equity, diversity and inclusion, with an immediate focus on gender representation. Lords will participate in the Built on Better Pledge covering INSPIRE, LISTEN, SHARE, SUPPORT, EDUCATE, MEASURE, and REPORT.
• Construction Leadership CouncilminorOthers · 6 September 2024The Construction Leadership Council is the leading body drawing together business leaders from across the construction sector and linking them with the UK Government. The Construction Inclusion Coalition is endorsed by the Construction Leadership Council.
• Burson BuchanancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBurson Buchanan serves as the company's PR and investor relations adviser. They manage media enquiries, press release distribution, and corporate communications. Contact details provided for investor and media enquiries. The firm hosts the company's AGM at its London offices.
• Cavendish Capital Markets LimitedcoreOthersCavendish Capital Markets Limited acts as Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker to Lords Group Trading plc. They are the designated adviser for AIM Rule 26 compliance and assist with corporate finance activities.
• BerenbergcoreOthersBerenberg acts as a Joint Broker to Lords Group Trading plc, providing capital markets and ECM support alongside Cavendish Capital Markets.
• Grant Thornton UK LLPcoreOthersGrant Thornton UK LLP serves as the company's auditor, re-appointed at the 2026 AGM with 99.76% shareholder approval. Previously RSM UK Audit LLP served as auditor through 2023.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bradfords: Established UK independent builders' merchant group operating across the South West. Directly comparable as a regional UK builders' merchant serving tradesmen and construction companies.
• Travis Perkins: UK's largest builders' merchant group operating Toolstation, Tile Giant, Travis Perkins, and Keyline. Direct competitor in merchanting and plumbing & heating distribution with significantly greater scale.
• Grafton Group: UK and Ireland builders' merchant group operating Selco Builders Warehouse, Buildbase, and other merchant brands. Direct competitor in UK building materials distribution with similar multi-brand strategy.
• Wickes: UK home improvement retailer and DIY-focused merchant listed on LSE. Comparable in serving both trade professionals and retail/DIY customers across building materials and kitchens/bathrooms.
• Howden Joinery: UK supplier of kitchens and joinery products to trade customers via depot network. Direct comparison for the multi-channel B2B trade distribution model serving UK tradesmen.
• Huws Gray: UK independent builders' merchant with over 100 branches across the UK. Direct competitor in merchanting building materials to tradesmen and construction companies with similar regional/independent heritage.
• City Plumbing: UK specialist plumbing and heating merchant with national branch network. Direct competitor in the P&H distribution space with similar multi-channel trade and consumer offering.
• Plumbase: UK specialist plumbing and heating merchant group (former Travis Perkins subsidiary). Direct competitor in P&H distribution with nationwide branch network serving independent merchants and installers.

Broad incumbents

• Saint-Gobain Distribution UK (Jewson): Global building materials giant with significant UK merchant presence through Jewson and other brands. Major competitor in building materials and plumbing/heating distribution with much larger group resources.
• Kingfisher (B&Q): UK-listed home improvement retail group operating B&Q and Screwfix. Competes with Lords across DIY and trade channels, though focused on retail rather than merchanting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lords-group-trading

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lords Group Trading