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Tiling Trade News: Shaws Sinks Reprice on 1 November

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Two bathroom supply stories broke this week that will land on quotes before Christmas, and three sets of official figures landed alongside them. Here is what changed between 14 and 18 September, and what each one means if you are pricing tiling and bathroom work this autumn.

Shaws of Darwen sinks reprice from 1 November, and one distributor puts it at around 300%

Shaws of Darwen, the Lancashire fireclay sink maker owned by Fortune Brands Innovations, has confirmed a large price rise taking effect on 1 November. Jonathan White, sales director EMEAA at Fortune Brands, said current prices “no longer reflect the true cost of manufacturing and supplying Shaws products”, that the group had “absorbed a significant portion of manufacturing and operating cost increases” over several years, and that a previous adjustment “did not go far enough to restore a sustainable commercial model”.

The 300% figure comes from the distributor, not from Shaws. Clearwater, which supplies Shaws products as part of its Sterling Brands portfolio, told retailers in a letter seen by kbbreview that the change “averages around 300%”. Clearwater said it will keep supplying stock already in its warehouse at existing prices until that stock runs out, after which Shaws products become special-order items only. Its advice to retailers was to “work on the basis of the new pricing from November and to check availability before quoting or confirming orders at current prices”.

Shaws followed up the next day to say the rise is not applied evenly. White said it is “not a uniform percentage increase across the Shaws range”, that individual products have been repriced separately, and that distributors set their own onward prices to retailers.

Why it matters to you: a Belfast or butler sink is often specified early and ordered late. If you have quoted a kitchen or utility job with a Shaws sink for delivery after October, the price you allowed for may no longer stand, and the item may not be held in stock at all. Check availability and the November price before you confirm, and put a date limit on any quote that includes one.

Sources: kbbreview, 16 September 2026 and kbbreview, 17 September 2026.

Smiths Briten starts staff consultation over its Bolton site

Bathroom distributor Smiths Briten has begun a consultation with all staff at its Bolton operation. Managing director Darren Allison told kbbreview the lease is ending and the landlord is “nearly doubling the rent, which will make the site very challenging from a profit perspective”. No final decisions have been made, and the company says choices about location and staffing will follow the consultation.

Its sister business, Frontline Bathrooms, runs from a freehold site at Featherstone in West Yorkshire, and Allison said the company intends to keep a significant share of the business there. Meetings are under way with brand suppliers about the future shape of the business. Allison said Frontline continues to invest in its Aqua brand, which he said has grown by double digits month on month through 2026.

Why it matters to you: if you order bathroom products through Smiths Briten or Frontline, this is the point to ask your rep which site your orders will ship from over the next few months and whether lead times change. Distribution moves tend to show up as a week of missing deliveries rather than an announcement.

Source: kbbreview, 17 September 2026.

Materials prices up 5.9% on the year, and brick deliveries down almost a quarter

The Department for Business and Trade published its building materials and components statistics on 16 September. The material price index for all work was 5.9% higher in July 2026 than in July 2025. Repair and maintenance materials were up 5.5% and new housing materials up 4.9%. Month on month, all three rose 0.4% between June and July.

The spread between materials is wide. Fabricated structural steel was up 20.9% over the year, rigid pipes and fittings up 15.5% and flexible pipes and fittings up 11.7%. Cement fell 3.5% and electric water heaters fell 1.5%. On volumes, brick deliveries in July were 22.8% down on the same month last year and block deliveries were down 10.8%.

Why it matters to you: a flat 5% uplift across a materials list no longer reflects what you actually pay. Anything with steel or pipework in it has moved much faster than the average, while cement has gone the other way. Price the list, not the index. The collapse in brick and block deliveries is also a reasonable read on how little new housing work is coming through, which is why refurbishment diaries are holding up better than new-build ones.

Source: Department for Business and Trade, 16 September 2026.

Bank Rate held at 3.75%, but three members voted to raise it

The Monetary Policy Committee voted 6 to 3 on 17 September to hold Bank Rate at 3.75%. The three in the minority wanted a rise of 0.25 percentage points to 4%. The Bank said CPI inflation increased to 3.1% in August and is likely to rise further over coming quarters, with energy prices the main pressure. The next decision is on 5 November.

The August inflation figure came from the ONS the day before. CPI rose to 3.1% from 2.9% in July, with petrol and diesel the largest upward contributions. Core inflation was 2.6% and services inflation 3.4%, both unchanged on the month.

Why it matters to you: three votes for an increase is the first sign in a while that the next move might not be down. Customers waiting for cheaper borrowing before committing to a bathroom or a full refit are not getting it this year, so there is no reason to let a job sit in “thinking about it” until November. For your own position, fuel-led inflation feeds straight into van running costs while your day rate stays where it was.

Sources: Bank of England, 17 September 2026 and ONS, 16 September 2026.

Wickes: fitted bathrooms and kitchens growing faster than the shop floor

Wickes published its half-year results on 15 September, covering the 26 weeks to 27 June. Total revenue was £865.3m, up 2.1%. The split is the interesting part: Design and Installation, which is fitted kitchens and bathrooms, grew 5.7% to £225.5m, while Retail grew 0.8% to £639.8m on rising volumes despite 2.4% deflation. Adjusted profit before tax was £27.6m. TradePro had 671,000 active members, up from 615,000 a year earlier.

Why it matters to you: retail prices falling 2.4% while installed projects grow 5.7% says householders are still paying for whole rooms to be done properly, even as they hunt for cheaper materials. That is an argument for quoting the job rather than the day, and for making the fitted element of a bathroom quote the thing you sell.

Source: Wickes Group Plc interim results 2026, 15 September 2026.

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