National Merchant Buying Society

What National Merchant Buying Society does

National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS) is a UK cooperative buying society founded in 1963 and headquartered in Leicester, serving independent builders, timber, roofing, hardware, plumbing, heating, plastics and engineering & industrial merchants. It operates as a member-owned intermediary that centralises purchasing across more than 1,300 merchants running over 4,900 branches, aggregating £2.25 billion of collective buying power and granting members access to terms comparable to national chains, alongside a 3.84% average rebate on processed invoices. NMBS also recruits 532+ suppliers to the network, charging them an annual fee in exchange for access to the merchant base via the Buyers Guide, the annual Exhibition and the OnePlace digital platform.

NMBS runs an integrated digital platform stack led by OnePlace, a B2B marketplace carrying 1.1M+ product lines with EDI-based straight-through ordering into merchant back-office systems; supported by Data Plus for invoice management and dispute resolution, Data Yard (built with GenetiQ Software) for standardised product data exchange, the Buyers Guide directory of 450+ suppliers, and a Report Centre business-intelligence portal. The infrastructure was migrated to cloud in 2019 and is certified to Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001:2022, with a five-person IT team maintaining the estate and a broader headcount of approximately 60 staff.

Commercially, NMBS monetises through a one-off £2,500 joining fee plus qualifying thresholds (minimum £750k turnover, £50k net worth, two years' trading) for full merchant members, an annual £1,500 affiliate tier, undisclosed recurring supplier fees on the 532-supplier base, and transactional processing economics on invoice flows handled through its platforms. Members are served primarily via direct sales, the OnePlace marketplace, and a calendar of high-touch events including the annual NMBS Exhibition (300+ exhibitors, 1,200+ visitors) and the biennial All-Industry Conference. The society adopted the Quoted Companies Alliance Corporate Governance Code in July 2025, published its first sustainability report in 2024 and is a founding member of the Construction Inclusion Coalition.

Name

National Merchant Buying Society

Legal name

National Merchant Buying Society Limited

Website

https://nmbs.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS) is a UK member-owned cooperative buying society founded in 1963, providing 1,300+ independent builders, timber, hardware and plumbing merchants with collective £2.25bn buying power, the OnePlace B2B marketplace, invoice management, and supplier events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Materials Distribution Cooperative Services

NAICS

Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (4251), Hardware Merchant Wholesalers (423710)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Wholesale-Hardware (5072)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

Keywords

• Merchant buying society
• Cooperative purchasing
• Building materials distribution
• B2B trading platform
• Debt guarantee services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: NMBS charges merchants a one-off joining fee of £2,500 and suppliers an annual fee to participate in the buying society. Members receive an average rebate of 3.84% on all invoices processed via NMBS.
2. Transaction Processing: NMBS facilitates payments between members and suppliers, processing invoices and credits through its digital platforms including OnePlace and Data Plus. The organization acts as a centralized buying society providing financial security through debt guarantee on all invoices processed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NMBS is a cooperative buying society that pools the purchasing power of independent builders, timber, hardware, plumbing and heating merchants across the UK to negotiate exclusive supplier terms, process invoices with debt guarantee, and provide digital ordering platforms. Members pay a one-off joining fee of £2,500 and receive an average 3.84% rebate on all invoices processed through NMBS, with access to 450+ suppliers and 1.1M+ products via the OnePlace B2B marketplace and EDI straight-through ordering.

Product overview

NMBS operates as a cooperative buying society providing a unified platform ecosystem for independent merchants. The core platform is OnePlace, a B2B marketplace enabling product discovery and ordering with Straight Through Ordering capabilities. Supporting services include the Buyers Guide (accessing 450+ suppliers), Data Plus (invoice management), Report Centre (business intelligence), and the annual NMBS Exhibition event. These products work together to provide centralised purchasing, marketing support, financial services, and trading platform access to members across the building materials sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Data Plus: Invoice management platform exclusively for NMBS Members and Suppliers, providing dispute resolution, account snapshot, and communication trail features.
• OnePlace
• Buyers Guide

Products and services

• NMBS Full Membership Full cooperative membership for established independent builders, timber, hardware, plumbing and heating merchants. Provides access to collective £2.25B buying power, 450+ supplier terms, OnePlace marketplace, Data Plus invoice management, Buyers Guide, and average 3.84% rebate on processed invoices. Members must meet financial criteria (£750k+ turnover, £50k+ net worth, 2+ years trading) and hold stock with a trade counter.
• NMBS Affiliate Membership Entry-level membership tier for new startup merchants with £600k+ turnover and positive net worth. Provides similar access to supplier terms and platforms as full membership but on an annual fee basis (£1,500/year) with maximum 3-year duration, designed as a stepping stone to full membership.
• OnePlace B2B Marketplace National B2B trading platform connecting NMBS merchant members with 389+ live suppliers, providing access to over 1.1 million product lines, product data, special offers, and Straight Through Ordering via EDI integration with merchant back-office systems. Processed £718M in order value.
• Data Plus Invoice Management Invoice management platform exclusively for NMBS Members and Suppliers, providing dispute resolution, account snapshot viewing, communication trail tracking, and streamlined invoice-to-payment processing.
• Buyers Guide Digital and print directory providing access to information on over 450 NMBS suppliers including delivery information, contact details, catalogues, price notifications, and special offers for members.
• NMBS Exhibition Annual trade exhibition for NMBS merchant members and suppliers, featuring exhibitor rebates (up to 15%), spot buy deals, exclusive supplier offers, and networking opportunities. Held at Coventry Building Society Arena.
• Report Centre Secure online reporting portal for NMBS members providing access to business intelligence and financial reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.84% average rebate on all invoices processed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forvis MazarscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Appointed in 2025 to undertake a thorough review of NMBS's 532 suppliers for adherence to UK Modern Slavery reporting requirements.
• Evelyn PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Appointed to assess the current risk management framework and risk register, focusing on maturity of approach, scoring, management and mitigations. Also providing internal audit services.
• Odgers BerndtsonminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Facilitated a Board skills audit in 2024, identifying board strengths and areas where capability could be enhanced.
• Data Yard / GenetiQ SoftwarecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Data Yard is a platform built with unique insight into the building materials industry to streamline and standardize product data exchange. GenetiQ Software serves as Product Director for the platform.
• KPMGcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Appointed to carry out cyber maturity assessment in 2023, with results reported to Board and actions implemented. Continued partnership in 2024 for cyber breach simulation and data loss prevention tooling.
• BDOminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Conducted a Strategic Review in 2021, with results considered carefully by the Board. Key recommendations published in 2021 Annual Report.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Travis Perkins: UK's largest builders' merchant chain with a national branch network and own-brand products. Comparable to NMBS as the dominant trade-channel counterparty for independent merchants and a potential competitor for supplier relationships and merchant procurement volumes.
• Saint-Gobain Distribution: Operates UK builders' merchant and plumbing/heating distribution brands (e.g., Jewson, Graham). Comparable to NMBS as a vertically integrated incumbent supplying the same independent merchant customer base and competing for supplier mindshare on OnePlace-style platforms.

Direct peers

• Huws Gray: UK independent-acquired builders' merchant group with 200+ branches across England and Wales. Directly comparable as an alternative procurement and supply channel serving independent trade customers in the same building-materials verticals as NMBS members.
• Bradfords Building Supplies: South West UK independent builders' merchant chain. Comparable to NMBS as a competing regional independent merchant group that attracts the same trade customers and competes for supplier relationships.
• Ridgeons: Independent family-owned builders' merchant in East Anglia with multiple branches. Comparable to NMBS as an independent merchant competitor that operates outside the buying society model and competes for the same end-customer trade base.
• MKM Building Supplies: UK independent builders' merchant chain with 100+ branches and a strong trade-account model. Comparable to NMBS as a competing route-to-market for independent trade customers and a potential consolidator that could attract NMBS-member merchants.
• Selco Builders Warehouse: UK trade-only builders' merchant with 70+ branches focused on the professional trade customer. Comparable as a competing channel for the same independent tradesmen and small contractors that NMBS members serve.
• Fortis Pro: UK plumbing and heating buying group serving independent merchants with aggregated supplier terms and marketing support. Closely comparable to NMBS as a sector-specific buying society using a similar cooperative economics model on a narrower merchant vertical.

Others

• Heating and Plumbing Merchants Association (HPMA): UK trade association representing plumbing and heating merchants. Comparable to NMBS as an industry-body counterpart organizing the same merchant segment, though it does not operate a commercial buying or marketplace platform.
• Builders Merchants Federation (BMF): UK trade association representing builders' merchants and suppliers. Comparable to NMBS as the leading industry body serving overlapping merchant members, providing training, events and policy advocacy rather than a procurement platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NationalMerch
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalMerch

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about National Merchant Buying Society