After analysing our data for September, BUCO emerged as the cheapest option, with an overall basket cost of N$8,011.4 inclusive of VAT and N$6,966.12 exclusive of VAT. Notably, the overall basket showed a month-on-month decrease of -1.28% exclusive of VAT.
This reduction was primarily attributed to a slight drop in the price of their Ceiling board item, which decreased from N$308.99 to N$219.95 inclusive of VAT.
Pupkewitz’s basket for September surfaced as the most expensive costing N$8,626.67 inclusive of VAT and N$7,501.32 exclusive of VAT. Witnessing a significant decrease of -3.78% in its basket compared to the previous month. Though exhibiting a decrease, it emerged as the basket having a high priced basket.
Ark Trading, which had consistently ranked as having the highest-priced basket in our survey from June to August, experienced a noteworthy change in September. With a basket costing N$8,578.56 inclusive of VAT and N$7,459.6 exclusive of VAT. Moreover, exhibiting a decrease by -17.38% exclusive of VAT month-on-month. This reduction can be attributed to a significant decrease in the price of its paint substitute item decreasing from N$2,240.00 to N$1,646.04 VAT inclusive.
The price gap between the most expensive and the least expensive basket exclusive of VAT for September narrowed to N$535.2, compared to August’s difference of N$1,419.11 exclusive of VAT.
Build It’s overall basket for September exhibited a decrease of -3.64% month on month exclusive of cost.
The construction hardware retail landscape appears to be highly volatile in terms of pricing. Retailers frequently alternate between increasing and decreasing prices for various items, as well as changing their sale offerings from one week to the next.
The Brief every month undertakes a survey, which started in June, 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 namely, 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 month on month.
For September we have included the Value-added Tax (VAT) to each item in order to give a definite representation of the items in the basket.
The following items form part of the basket:
- Roofing Galvanised IBR
- Copper Tube 460 Class 0
- Aluminium Window (Bronze)
- Aluminum Sliding Door (Bronze)
- Brick 7MPA
- Brickforce 150MM 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 2032MM
- 32.5 Cement Ohorongo
- 42.5 Cement Ohorongo
- Paint 20 liters
*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 the 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.
