Retail sales of construction and earthmoving equipment increased in May after falling back in April, according to the latest figures released by the CEA.
The growth returned sales to an upward path for this year after hitting a low point in January. Sales in May were over 2,600 units, still 19% below levels in the same period in 2023. The pick-up in sales in May is in line with expectations that the market is stable after a difficult start to the year, and equipment sales are expected to show modest growth in the coming months.
Wheeled loaders and telehandlers (for construction) were the two best-performing higher-volume products, while road rollers continue to be the weakest performing product, with sales this year 62% below levels seen in the first five months of last year.
Across the UK all regions continued to see declining sales compared with last year. London was the best-performing region this year, with sales at 18% below 2023 levels. In contrast, the West Midlands has shown the weakest sales, 49% below last year’s levels in the first five months, followed by Northern Ireland at 46% below 2023 levels.
