Robert Price

What Robert Price does

Robert Price (Builders' Merchants) Limited is a family-owned, independent builders' merchants founded in 1847 in Abergavenny and operated continuously by fifth and sixth generation descendants of the original founder. Headquartered at Park Road, Abergavenny, with over 30 branches across South Wales and Herefordshire and 250+ employees, it is the largest independent builders' merchant in its region. The company operates a multi-format retail/wholesale distribution model spanning builders' merchants, roofing specialists, plumbing and heating (PlumbBob), timber merchants (Robert Price Timber, Gower Timber), insulation, agricultural supplies, and kitchens/bathrooms/bedrooms showrooms (Tudors KBB), with a stocklist of approximately 30,000 products.

The core offering is physical building materials — bricks, cement, timber, roofing, insulation, tools, hardware, plumbing, electrical, landscaping and kitchen/bathroom ranges — sold across the branch network and an online shop, supported by trade accounts with 30-day credit terms, free local delivery and account-management services. Differentiation rests on regional branch density, 175+ years of heritage, specialist sub-format operators acquired and retained under their own brands, and the Sustainable Energy Centre at Newport, which provides showroom and accredited training for sustainable building products. Go-to-market is branch-led sales with a self-service ecommerce overlay, dedicated account managers for trade credit accounts, and community-engagement marketing including the BUILDIT SHAREIT tradie showcase scheme.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time hardware sales across trade and DIY segments, supplemented by recurring trade-account credit flows, specialist division sales and tool/plant hire via the Miles Hire partnership. Customers include local and regional tradesmen, national house builders, public sector organisations, self-builders and DIY consumers. The business has pursued an active consolidation strategy, completing acquisitions of Builders' Bitz (2021), Tudors Building Supplies (2022) and Terry Howell (Feb 2024), alongside greenfield branch expansion (Port Talbot, Jan 2024) and a partnership with Tai Tarian Housing Association, supporting a measured, M&A-led growth posture.

Name

Robert Price

Legal name

Robert Price (Builders' Merchants) Limited

Website

https://robert-price.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1847

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Robert Price is a family-owned independent builders' merchants founded in 1847, operating over 30 branches across South Wales and Herefordshire, serving tradesmen, house builders, public sector organisations and DIYers with building materials, timber, roofing, plumbing, KBB and specialist divisions, alongside trade accounts, an online shop and tool hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Builders Merchants / Building Materials Distribution

NAICS

Building Material and Supplies Dealers (4441), Other Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers (42339)

SIC

Retail-Lumber & Other Building Materials Dealers (5211), Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction, Hardware & MRO Supply Clubs (Trades/Contractors) (CRAEAEAG)

Keywords

• Builders merchants
• Building materials supply
• Timber merchants
• Roofing supplies
• Trade account services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wales

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Building Materials Sales: Sale of building materials including bricks, cement, timber, roofing, insulation, tools, and hardware through branch network and online shop. One-time transaction model for most purchases.
2. Trade Account Services: Cash and credit trade accounts offering 30-day credit terms, trade pricing, account management, and free local delivery for qualifying trade customers.
3. Specialist Division Sales: Revenue from specialist divisions including roofing merchants, plumbing merchant, timber specialists, insulation branch, agricultural division, and Tudors KBB kitchen and bathroom showrooms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Robert Price is a family-run independent builders' merchant supplying approximately 30,000 building material product lines — including sand, cement, blocks, timber, fixings, roofing, insulation, plumbing, electrical, tools, workwear, kitchens, bathrooms, agricultural supplies and sustainable energy products — through 30+ branches and an online shop across South Wales and Herefordshire. The group also operates specialist divisions (timber, roofing, plumbing, insulation, agriculture, KBB showrooms), trade account services with credit terms, and tool/plant hire through the Miles Hire partnership.

Product overview

Robert Price is a family-run, independent builders' merchants operating as a single unified offering across multiple sub-brands. The core product is building materials supply through 28+ Robert Price branded branches, supplemented by specialist sub-brands including Gower Timber (timber specialist), PlumbBob Plumbing & Heating Supplies, The Sustainable Energy Centre (sustainable products showroom and training), Tudors Building Supplies (Hereford-based builders' merchants), and Tudors KBB (kitchen, bathroom and bedroom showrooms). The company also offers an online shop, trade account services with credit facilities, an online account portal, self-build project support, and call & collect services. The Miles Hire partnership extends offerings to tool and plant hire. The business serves tradesmen, contractors, public sector organizations, and DIYers across South Wales and Herefordshire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tudors KBB: Dedicated Kitchens, Bathrooms & Bedrooms brand with two stunning showroom branches in Hereford and Merthyr Tydfil, offering expert designers and home planning services to retail customers and developers.

Products and services

• Robert Price Builders Merchants (Core Building Materials Supply) Core builders' merchant supply of approximately 30,000 product lines including sand, cement, blocks, timber, fixings, roofing, insulation, plumbing, electrical, tools, workwear, kitchens, bathrooms, agricultural supplies, doors, hardware, painting supplies, garden and landscaping, and civils & groundworks materials, sold through 28+ branches across South Wales and Herefordshire.
• Gower Timber (Timber Specialist Division) Specialist timber merchant based in Penclawdd, Swansea, offering timber products and timber expertise as part of the Robert Price Group since joining in 2017.
• PlumbBob Plumbing & Heating Supplies Plumbing and heating supplies specialist brand within the Robert Price Group, providing plumbing and heating products to trade and retail customers.
• Sustainable Energy Centre (SEC) Dedicated showroom and training academy based at the Newport branch, showcasing sustainable building products and renewable technologies (heat pumps, solar PV, EV charging, insulation, hybrid heating) via demonstration pods, and offering in-house accredited training for installers, homeowners and contractors.
• Tudors Building Supplies (Hereford) Hereford-based builders' merchant acquired in 2022, operating four branches covering builders' merchants, roofing supplies, landscaping materials, and a kitchen, bathroom and home specialist, retained as part of the Robert Price Group under the Tudors brand.
• Tudors KBB (Kitchens, Bathrooms & Bedrooms Showrooms) Dedicated kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms retail brand with two showroom branches in Hereford and Merthyr Tydfil (the Merthyr Tydfil showroom was installed in 2025; Hereford showroom installed in 2023/2024), offering expert designers and home planning services to retail customers and developers.
• Robert Price Roofing (Specialist Roofing Division) Specialist roofing supplies branches within the Robert Price Group, with locations in Pontypool (opened 2006), Cardiff and Bridgend (opened 2013), serving roofing contractors and builders.
• Robert Price Agricultural Agricultural supplies division serving farming customers, following the 2014 rebranding of acquired Abergavenny Agricultural Supplies.
• Robert Price Insulation Branch (Leckwith, Cardiff) Specialist insulation supplies branch in Leckwith, Cardiff, serving insulation contractors and energy-efficiency projects.
• Robert Price Online Shop E-commerce platform allowing customers to browse and order a selection of the full product range online for delivery, with options for collection at branches.
• Trade Account Services (Cash and Credit Accounts) Cash and credit trade accounts providing account manager access, trade pricing, account portal login, free local delivery, purchase history recall, and 30 days of credit balance on credit accounts, supporting regular procurement by tradesmen and house builders.
• Self-Build Services Professional advice and material supply services supporting self-build projects, providing material estimates from architect's plans and guidance through planning, external build and internal build stages.
• Call & Collect Service Service allowing customers to arrange materials by phone and collect them at branches, with inter-branch stock transfers when an item is not in stock at the nearest location.
• Miles Hire Tool and Plant Hire (Partnership Offering) Tool and plant hire offering through partnership with Miles Hire, with dedicated Miles Hire trade counters at Robert Price Cardiff and Newport (Corporation Road) branches, online ordering 24/7, and delivery throughout South Wales directly to site.
• Account Portal Online account management portal for existing cash or credit account holders to check balances, make payments, view previous orders, quotations, invoices and statements, and manage account contact details.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ branches serving South Wales and Herefordshire
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Terry Howell Timber and Builders' MerchantsminorOthers · 1 February 2024Robert Price acquired the assets of Terry Howell Timber and Builders' Merchants in February 2024. A family business with sites in Newport and Pontypool.
• Miles HirecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to offer tool & plant hire services. Miles Hire trade counters are located at Robert Price Cardiff and Newport (Corporation Road) branches. Miles Hire also delivers throughout South Wales, and equipment can be ordered online 24/7 for direct delivery to site.
• Tai Tarian Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with housing association for housing association projects. Port Talbot branch opened in January 2024 to support this partnership and will welcome all trade customers.
• Tudors Building Supplies (Hereford) LtdcoreOthers · 1 February 2022Acquired in early 2022, Tudors Building Supplies is a Hereford-based company with four separate branches: a builders merchant, roofing supplies stockist, landscaping materials supplier, and a kitchen bathroom & home specialist. Continues trading under the Tudors brand.
• Builders' BitzminorOthers · 1 February 2021Aberdare based builders merchants acquired in February 2021. The company traded under the Builders' Bitz name until 2024 when it was brought fully into the Robert Price branch network.
• Gower TimberminorOthers · 1 January 2017Gower Timber in Penclawdd, Swansea joined the Robert Price Group in 2017, becoming the second timber specialist location.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves19 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Travis Perkins: UK's largest builders' merchant with nationwide branch network, serving trade customers with building materials, tool hire, and plumbing/heating supplies. Comparable in core product offering but operates at much larger scale and national footprint versus Robert Price's regional South Wales focus.
• Buildbase: Grafton Group's UK builders' merchant brand with nationwide network of branches and strong trade customer proposition. Comparable in core trade-supply model, though owned by a publicly listed group with broader product and geographic reach.
• Wickes: UK DIY and trade retailer with nationwide branches, kitchen and bathroom showrooms, and a strong trade account offering. Comparable in product categories and trade focus, but with national footprint, listed parent, and a more balanced DIY/trade customer mix.
• Jewson: Saint-Gobain-owned national builders' merchant offering timber, building materials, kitchens, and landscaping across the UK. Directly comparable in product mix and trade customer focus, but significantly larger and nationally distributed.

Direct peers

• Huws Gray: Welsh-origin independent builders' merchant with strong regional presence across Wales, the Midlands, and Northwest England. Highly comparable as a regional independent competitor with similar family/PE-backed roots, branch-led model, and trade customer base.
• MKM Building Supplies: UK independent builders' merchant with over 100 branches, founded on a regional independent model and grown via branch openings and acquisitions. Directly comparable in operating model, trade customer focus, and growth trajectory from regional to multi-regional independent.
• Bradfords Building Supplies: Independent builders' merchant with branches across the South West and Wales, serving trade customers with building materials, kitchens, and landscaping. Closely comparable as a regional independent competitor with similar heritage and trade focus.
• Gibbs & Dandy: Saint-Gobain's smaller-format builders' merchant brand focused on the SME trade customer. Comparable in trade customer focus and product range, though typically operating alongside Jewson branches in overlapping geographies.
• Selco Builders Warehouse: Trade-only builders' merchant with branches across the UK, focused on same-day collection and delivery for tradesmen and contractors. Closely comparable in target customer (trade), product range, and credit/delivery value proposition, though operating a cash-and-carry branch format.

Regional players

• Crown Timber Group: UK timber and builders' merchant with regional presence, supplying timber, sheet materials, and building products to trade customers. Comparable in timber-specialist sub-brand capability (like Robert Price's Gower Timber and Robert Price Timber).

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/robertpriceltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/RobertPriceMerchants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robert-price-merchants
• Xx.com/RobertPriceBM

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 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 Robert Price