Pupkewitz Megabuild has recorded the biggest year-on-year drop in prices according to our Hardware Stores Survey conducted on four hardware stores in Windhoek.
The Brief’s survey, which is conducted every month, aims to assess a basket of similar hardware items that customers would probably purchase in a month. The survey is carried out across four hardware stores: Build It, BUCO, Pupkewitz Megabuild, and Ark Trading.
The survey aims to guide shoppers 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 to provide overall basket and item variations month on month.
The following items are in the basket:
- Roofing Galvanized IBR
- Copper Tube 460 Class 0
- Aluminium Window (Bronze)
- Aluminium Sliding Door (Bronze)
- Brick 7 MPA
- Brickforce 150 MM 15M ROLL
- Brickforce 75MM 15M ROLL
- Lintel concrete 1200X110X75MM
- Lintel concrete 1800X110X75MM
- Lintel concrete 900X110X75MM
- Ceiling Board 1200X3000X6.4MM
- Door Frame Steel 813X2032X115X1MM
- Lockset 2 lever
- Door Hardboard Interior 813 X 2032 MM
- 32.5 Cement Ohorongo
- 42.5 Cement Ohorongo
- Paint 20 liters
In July 2024, Pupkewitz emerged as the cheapest hardware store, moreover, recording the largest year-on-year decrease in its overall basket. The basket cost at Pupkewitz dropped from N$ 8440.55 in July 2023 to N$ 6917.74 in July 2024, representing a decrease of 18.04%.
Key items contributing to this decrease were Paint, which dropped from N$ 2329.99 in July 2023 to N$ 928.99 in July 2024, the Lockset 2 Lever, which fell from N$ 284.99 to N$ 79.95, and the Aluminium Sliding Door (Bronze), which decreased from N$ 2454.10 in July 2023 to N$ 2398.99 in July 2024.
The significant reduction in the prices of paint and lockset comparables played a major role in this decline.
Ark Trading ranked second with a year-on-year basket decrease of 17.38%. The basket cost at Ark Trading decreased from N$ 9788.75 in July 2023 to N$ 8087.03 in July 2024, a difference of N$ 1707.72. The main contributors to this reduction were Paint, which dropped from N$ 2671.17 in July 2023 to N$ 1046.40 in July 2024, and Roofing Galvanized IBR, which decreased from N$ 698.90 in July 2023 to N$ 671.24 in July 2024.
Build It saw an 8.78% year-on-year decrease in its overall basket, placing third. Notable reductions included Paint, which dropped from N$ 1605.78 in July 2023 to N$ 1083.88 in July 2024, the Aluminium Window (Bronze), which fell from N$ 924.21 in July 2023 to N$ 820.42 in July 2024, the Ceiling Board, which decreased from N$ 258.90 to N$ 203.54, and the Door Frame Steel, which declined from N$ 588.27 in July 2023 to N$ 570.57 in July 2024.
BUCO recorded the smallest change, with a minimal year-on-year basket decrease of 0.63%. The basket cost at BUCO dropped from N$ 8167.14 in July 2023 to N$ 8115.68 in July 2024, a difference of just N$ 51.46.
Contributing to this minor decrease were Paint, which fell from N$ 1148.10 in July 2023 to N$ 1049.00 in July 2024, and Roofing Galvanized IBR, which decreased from N$ 799.43 in July 2023 to N$ 697.34 in July 2024.
The analysis highlights that the major item contributing to the overall basket decrease across all stores was Paint. Additionally, the Aluminium Sliding Door (Bronze) significantly contributed to the basket decrease at both Ark Trading and Pupkewitz.
For the “Commodity of the Month,” which is 20 liters of Duram White paint, BUCO consistently offered the lowest average price among all stores, at N$ 1067.56.
Build It followed with an average of N$ 1198.73, Ark Trading came next with N$ 1376.67, and Pupkewitz had the highest average price at N$ 1429.70 over the 13-month survey period.
