Travis Perkins
Travis Perkins is a British builders' merchant and home-improvement retail group headquartered in Northampton.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Travis Perkins is a United Kingdom-based builders' merchant and home-improvement retail group serving construction professionals, tradespeople, housebuilders, contractors and do-it-yourself customers. Its principal activity is the distribution of building materials, timber, plumbing and heating products, landscaping supplies, kitchens, bathrooms and related tools and equipment. The group has historically combined branch-based trade distribution with specialist retail and online operations, giving it exposure to both professional construction demand and consumer repair, renovation and improvement spending. The company's roots extend well before the modern Travis Perkins name. Its history can be traced to Benjamin Ingram, a joinery and carpentry business established in London in 1797. Benjamin Ingram later combined with Perkins to form Ingram Perkins in 1850. In 1970, Ingram Perkins merged with Sandell Smythe & Drayson to create Sandell Perkins. That business became publicly listed in London in 1986. In 1988, its combination with Travis & Arnold produced the Travis Perkins name. Travis & Arnold had been founded by Ernest Travis in 1899, moved from London to Northampton in 1904 and developed a strong Midlands presence. Expansion during the 1990s and 2000s was driven substantially by acquisitions. The group added businesses including AAH, BMSS, Sharpe & Fisher, Keyline Builders Merchants, Broombys, City Plumbing Supplies, Commercial Ceiling Factors, Jayhard and B&G. It also acquired Wickes in 2004 and Tile Giant in 2007, broadening its exposure beyond traditional trade branches into home improvement and specialist retail. The purchase of BSS Group in 2010 strengthened its specialist distribution position, while the acquisition of the remaining stake in Toolstation in 2012 created a major trade-counter, catalogue and e-commerce platform within the group. Travis Perkins faced difficult conditions during the 2008 financial crisis as construction activity weakened. The company suspended its dividend and considered a rights issue in early 2009. The 2010s nevertheless brought substantial growth, with group revenue rising from approximately £4.8 billion in 2012 to £6.2 billion in 2016 according to the cited reference material. A later restructuring contributed to a substantial reduction in reported profit in early 2019, reflecting the cost of repositioning the portfolio and responding to changing market conditions. The group subsequently simplified its structure. It completed the demerger of Wickes in 2021 and agreed to sell its plumbing and heating businesses to H.I.G. Capital during the same year. Tile Giant was sold in 2020. These moves concentrated the portfolio more heavily on the core Travis Perkins merchant operation and Toolstation. Toolstation became an increasingly important growth platform, particularly in the United Kingdom, where it expanded its branch network and market share. By 2024, roughly one-fifth of group revenue was associated with Toolstation, although its mainland European operations were weaker. In 2024, Travis Perkins announced that Toolstation would leave France and that its businesses in the Netherlands and Belgium were under review. The company's performance remains closely linked to construction volumes, repair and maintenance activity, housing starts, infrastructure spending, material costs, interest rates and customer confidence. It has also highlighted supply-chain disruption and materials shortages, including during 2021, and has warned that persistent price inflation can affect reported results. In 2020, the COVID-19 disruption led to plans to close 165 branches and remove approximately 2,500 positions as part of a restructuring intended to reduce annual costs. The business remains active, with its core proposition centered on product availability, local branch service, delivery capability, specialist trade knowledge and digital ordering.
History
Travis Perkins' corporate lineage reaches back to 1797, when Benjamin Ingram established a London joinery and carpentry business. Ingram later merged with Perkins in 1850 to form Ingram Perkins. A further merger with Sandell Smythe & Drayson in 1970 created Sandell Perkins, which obtained a London Stock Exchange listing in 1986. Two years later, Sandell Perkins merged with Travis & Arnold and adopted the Travis Perkins name. Travis & Arnold had been founded by Ernest Travis in 1899 and had moved its base from London to Northampton in 1904, making the Midlands an important operating territory. The modern group grew through an extended acquisition programme. During the 1990s and early 2000s it purchased or integrated a series of builders' merchants and specialist distributors, including AAH, BMSS, Sharpe & Fisher, Keyline Builders Merchants, Broombys, City Plumbing Supplies, Commercial Ceiling Factors, Jayhard and B&G. The acquisition of Wickes in 2004 added a substantial home-improvement retail chain, while the purchase of Tile Giant in 2007 expanded the group's specialist flooring and tile presence. In 2010, Travis Perkins acquired BSS Group, adding another important distribution business. It acquired the remaining interest in Toolstation in 2012 and bought Solfex outright in 2013. The financial crisis of 2008 created a particularly difficult environment because construction and housing activity weakened. Travis Perkins suspended its dividend and considered a rights issue in early 2009. The group then benefited from recovery and portfolio expansion during the following decade. Reference material indicates that revenue grew from about £4.8 billion in 2012 to £6.2 billion in 2016. However, a restructuring undertaken in the late 2010s produced a significant decline in reported profit in early 2019, with restructuring and operational pressures contributing to an approximately £350 million reduction. The group also faced questions about the future of its property and business portfolio. In 2017, it sought support from the local community in Pimlico after its historic timber yard was threatened with closure to make way for a housing development. In 2018, management announced plans to sell City Plumbing Supplies and other plumbing and heating operations, although the proposed disposal was placed on hold in 2019. COVID-19 brought another major restructuring. In June 2020, Travis Perkins announced plans to close 165 branches and eliminate approximately 2,500 jobs. The programme was intended to generate around £120 million of annual savings and involved a reported one-off cost of approximately £111 million. Tile Giant was sold later in 2020. In 2021, the Wickes demerger was completed and the group agreed to sell its plumbing and heating businesses to H.I.G. Capital, further concentrating the portfolio. The early 2020s were shaped by materials shortages, supply-chain constraints and input-price inflation. The company asked customers in 2021 to place orders early in order to reduce the risk of delays. Management also identified the cost of low-carbon building materials as a major barrier to their broader adoption. Toolstation became a central growth vehicle: it expanded its UK branch network significantly between 2020 and 2023 and represented approximately one-fifth of group revenue by 2024. In contrast, mainland European operations underperformed, prompting Toolstation's withdrawal from France and a review of its presence in the Netherlands and Belgium. More recently, weaker construction volumes and persistent inflation have continued to pressure group results.
- 2024
Toolstation reviewed mainland European operations
[1]Toolstation announced its exit from France and a review of its Netherlands and Belgium businesses.
- 2021
Wickes demerged
[1]The demerger of Wickes Group plc from Travis Perkins was completed.
- 2020
Pandemic restructuring announced
[1]The company announced branch closures and job reductions in response to pandemic-era trading conditions.
- 2012
Toolstation fully acquired
[1]The group bought the remaining 70% of Toolstation.
- 2010
BSS Group acquired
[1]Travis Perkins completed its successful offer for BSS Group.
- 2004
Wickes acquired
[1]The group acquired Wickes and substantially broadened its home-improvement retail activities.
- 1988
Travis Perkins name adopted
[1]The merger of Sandell Perkins and Travis & Arnold produced the Travis Perkins business.
- 1986
Stock-market listing
[1]Sandell Perkins was first listed on the London Stock Exchange.
- 1970
Sandell Perkins created
[1]Ingram Perkins merged with Sandell Smythe & Drayson and became Sandell Perkins.
- 1850
Ingram Perkins formed
[1]Benjamin Ingram's business merged with Perkins to create Ingram Perkins.
Products and positioning
A broad UK builders' merchant and home-improvement group combining local trade branches, specialist distribution, delivery services and digitally enabled retail. Its brands serve professional trades and construction businesses while also reaching consumers undertaking repair and renovation projects.
Builders' merchant
Travis Perkins builders' merchants
The core Travis Perkins branch network supplies professional builders, contractors, housebuilders and maintenance businesses. Its range covers everyday building materials, timber, sheet materials, landscaping products, kitchens, bathrooms, tools and related site supplies. Branches support trade customers through local availability, delivery and product advice.
Trade and home-improvement retail
Toolstation
Toolstation is a specialist trade-counter, catalogue and online retail business within the Travis Perkins group. It sells tools, hardware, electrical products, plumbing supplies, workwear and other products used by tradespeople and home improvers. The UK business has been a major growth platform, while the group has reduced or reviewed parts of its mainland European footprint.
Building materials
Timber and sheet materials
Travis Perkins supplies timber and sheet materials for structural work, joinery, renovation and general construction. Timber has been an important part of the group's historical merchant identity, including through its longstanding yard operations.
Specialist building distribution
Plumbing and heating supplies
Plumbing and heating products were historically a significant part of the group portfolio, supported by specialist businesses such as City Plumbing Supplies. Travis Perkins announced the sale of these businesses in 2021, so this category should be understood primarily as a historical group offering rather than a confirmed current core business.
Home improvement
Kitchens and bathrooms
The group has supplied kitchen and bathroom products through its merchant and home-improvement activities. These lines serve both professional installation projects and household renovation demand, complementing its broader building-material range.
Equipment rental
Tool hire
Tool hire provides access to equipment for construction, renovation and maintenance work without requiring customers to purchase every item outright. It complements the group's materials distribution and trade-counter proposition.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Pimlico timber yard community campaign
United Kingdom
Travis Perkins sought local community support after its historic Pimlico timber yard, described in the reference material as the UK's oldest, faced the possibility of closure connected with a proposed housing development.
Brand decisions
2024
Toolstation mainland Europe retrenchmentStrategyBackground
Toolstation's UK business was expanding, but its mainland European operations were reportedly underperforming.
Action taken
The group announced Toolstation's exit from France and began reviewing operations in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Aftermath
The decision redirected attention toward the stronger UK market and reduced exposure to weaker European operations.
2021
Wickes demergerM&ABackground
The group was simplifying its portfolio and separating a major consumer home-improvement business.
Action taken
The demerger of Wickes Group plc from Travis Perkins was completed.
Aftermath
Travis Perkins became more concentrated on builders' merchant and specialist trade distribution activities.
2021
Sale of plumbing and heating businessesM&ABackground
The company continued to streamline its operating portfolio after earlier plans had been delayed.
Action taken
Travis Perkins agreed to sell its plumbing and heating businesses to H.I.G. Capital.
Aftermath
The transaction reduced the group's exposure to plumbing and heating distribution and supported its focus on core merchant and Toolstation operations.
2020
COVID-19 restructuringStrategyBackground
The pandemic disrupted construction activity, branch trading and customer demand.
Action taken
The company planned to close 165 branches and eliminate approximately 2,500 jobs, targeting annual savings of about £120 million.
Aftermath
The restructuring involved a reported one-off cost of approximately £111 million.
Expected annual cost savings. Approximately £120 million annually (2020 restructuring plan)
2018
Proposed disposal of plumbing and heating businessesStrategyBackground
The group was reviewing its portfolio and seeking to concentrate on selected operations.
Action taken
Travis Perkins announced plans to sell City Plumbing Supplies and other plumbing and heating businesses.
Aftermath
The proposed sale was put on hold in October 2019 and later revisited as part of the group's portfolio simplification.
2010
Acquisition of BSS GroupM&ABackground
Travis Perkins sought to expand its specialist distribution activities.
Action taken
The company made a successful offer to acquire BSS Group for £553 million.
Aftermath
BSS became part of the group's broader construction and industrial distribution portfolio.
Acquisition consideration. £553 million (2010)
2009
Dividend suspension and possible rights issueStrategyBackground
The financial crisis caused a severe downturn across construction and related merchant markets.
Action taken
Travis Perkins suspended its dividend and indicated that it was open to raising equity through a rights issue.
Aftermath
The measure reflected an effort to protect the balance sheet during unusually difficult trading conditions.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Travis Perkins launches tool hire service at Corby branch[2]
Travis Perkins launched its Travis Perkins Hire tool and equipment hire service at its relocated Corby branch for the first time, expanding its national hire network of more than 270 branches.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Travis Perkins relocates Corby branch to larger site[2]
Travis Perkins relocated its Corby branch to a larger, more modern 1.5-acre site, creating six jobs and expanding its product and service offering for local tradespeople.
Reported
Travis Perkins appoints Nick Pinney as Group Property Director[3]
Travis Perkins announced that Nick Pinney would become the Group's Property Director from 1 November 2021, replacing Martin Meech, who was retiring from the Group at the end of 2021.
Sources4 sources
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