The Construction Products Association (CPA) has forecast a 10% growth in the construction industry over the next two years. The high annual rates of growth, which are expected to total 22.5% over the next five years, are a welcome relief from the recession-impacted figures we have been seeing since 2008. However, activity within the industry won’t recover to its 2007 peak until at least 2017. In the short-term, it is highly likely that growth will be driven by housing, commercial builds within the private sector and government-led infrastructure projects that have been designed to kickstart the industry post-recession. By the end of this year it is expected that housing builds will have increased by 18% since last year, with a further 10% to follow next year. Over the same time periods the commercial sector, which individually has the largest impact on the industry’s overall growth, is expected to grow by 10% and 8% respectively.

With all this newfound industry growth in the pipeline timber, plumbing and builders’ merchants are all set to benefit. The best way to fully take advantage of increases in demand is through resources such as Integrity Trader software. Our user-friendly and efficient technology will allow your merchant business to manage stock, complete accounts more accurately and better serve customers through an electronic point-of-sale software (ePOS) system.  Make use of the system to complete stock orders quickly (or even automatically), keep track of deliveries and create financial reports. Furthermore, Trader software can offer your business’s customers a fast, reliable and personalised service on account of a centralised system that can quickly produce quotes, maintain records of purchase history that can provide opportunities for upselling and view customer credit limits to provide extra control. To learn more about how our software could help your merchant business capitalise on the current growth in the construction industry, take a look at our website or even request a demo.