Pupkewitz emerged as the most economical hardware store for March, boasting a 0.084% decrease in basket composition costs compared to February. Notably, their price for a door decreased from N$276.94 to N$269.99, contributing to this decrease.
The following items make the standard basket:
● Roofing Galvanised IBR
● Copper Tube 460 Class 0
● Aluminium Window (Bronze)
● Aluminium Sliding Door (Bronze)
● Brick 7 MPA
● Brickforce 150MM 15M ROLL
● Brickforce 75MM 15M ROLL
● Lintel concrete 1,200X110X75MM
● Lintel concrete 1,800X110X75MM
● Lintel concrete 900X110X75MM
● Ceiling Board 1,200X3,000X6.4MM
● Door Frame Steel 813X2,032X115X1MM
● Lockset 2 lever
● Door Hardboard Interior 813X2032MM
● 32.5 Cement Ohorongo
● 42.5 Cement Ohorongo
● 20-litre Paint
During the month under review all hardware stores experienced declines in their overall basket prices. The margin between the most expensive and least expensive baskets amounted to N$886.01. The average basket cost across the four stores for March was N$7,386.81.
Following closely behind Pupkewitz Megabuild is Build It, offering a cost-effective basket composition with a 3.22% decrease month-on-month.
This reduction was primarily driven by decreases in the prices of door frame steels, dropping from N$570.60 to N$ 529.82, and 20-litre paint, decreasing from N$1,083.88 to N$1,030.69. However, there was a slight increase in the price of Aluminium Window (Bronze), rising from N$883.53 to N$902.73.
BUCO secured the third place with its basket costing N$7,820.20 from N$7,929.17, marking a 1.37% decrease from February 2024 to March 2024. Notable decreases in the basket included Roofing Galvanised IBR, which decreased from N$728.10 to N$701.17, and ceiling boards dropping from N$308.99 to N$240.95.
In last place for affordability, Ark Trading showcased a significant price decrease from N$8,139.31 recorded in February to N$7,397.55 in March, indicating a 9.11% decrease.
This reduction primarily stemmed from decreases in the prices of Copper Tube Class O, falling from N$634.27 to N$589.40, door frame steels dropping from N$523.68 to N$474.56 and interior doors dropping from N$513.20 to N$474.60.
*Note: The list of products we collect is limited and not intended to be an absolute measure of affordability. We aim for products to be broadly comparable.
In almost all cases it is possible to find any of these products at a cheaper price or to find cheaper alternatives, depending on location or time of month. Our sample is intended to simply reflect the total price of the cart in a single visit on a particular day.
The Brief every month undertakes a survey, which started last year June, to assess a basket of similar hardware items that customers would probably purchase in a month. The survey is carried out across Build It, BUCO, Pupkewitz Megabuild and Ark Trading.
The aim of the survey is to provide shoppers with guidance on which hardware wholesaler offers the cheapest basket of building materials for that particular month. Moreover, an analysis of changes in the basket is carried out in order to provide overall basket and item variations from month to month.
Commodity Spotlight: Aluminium Window (Bronze)
Each month, The Brief conducts a survey of 17 standardised items in four hardware stores in Windhoek. We will now conduct an individual commodity spotlight from the data collected over the months. The Commodity to be chosen will be done randomly.
In the month of February 2024, we have selected the Aluminium Window (Bronze). We have found the average price for the item to be N$946.21 among the four stores in the survey.
Pupkewitz emerged as the store with the lowest average price for the Aluminium Window (Bronze), priced at N$856.37.
The pricing trajectory for this item at Pupkewitz showed a declining trend. It commenced at N$964.10 in June 2023, decreased significantly to N$848.10 in October 2023, and remained at that level until January 2024. In February 2024, a slight drop to N$840.95 was observed, maintaining the same price in March 2024.
Conversely, BUCO exhibited a higher average price for the Aluminium Window, amounting to N$1,056.96.
The pricing trajectory at BUCO depicted a fluctuating trend. It initiated at N$1,068.35 in June 2023, experienced a slight reduction to N$1,007.18 in July 2023, remaining stable until September.
In October 2023, there was a slight drop to N$1,005.71, followed by increases in November and December 2023, peaking at N$1,186.68. However, a significant drop to N$1,005.32 was noted in January 2024, followed by an increase to N$1,048.10 in February 2024, and settling at N$1,046.09 in March 2024.
Ark Trading had an average price of N$989.26 for the Aluminium Window, while at Build It the price of Aluminium Windows averagedN$882.23.
