Wolf, a supplier of kitchen cabinets in the U.S. and a leading provider of building products in 25 states, reported the findings of the WOLF Key Buyer Index (KBI) for November.
The November KBI score of 53.67 reflects the second consecutive month of decrease from the October KBI of 57.67, and the 60.67 KBI of September, heralding the normal seasonal slowdown that typically begins in October and carries through December.
WOLF developed KBI, a proprietary metric that offers a monthly snapshot of independent dealers’ sentiments, to provide a concrete measure of how building materials buyers see the near-term future of their industry. WOLF gathers data for the KBI from a monthly survey of key buyers at independent building materials dealers across 21 states. A WOLF KBI score of 50 reflects a neutral outlook; a score above 50 reflects a positive outlook; and a score below 50 reflects a negative outlook.
In the Mid-Atlantic region, Kitchen & Bath buyers saw a larger drop than their associates in Building Products, registering a score of 60.91 in November compared to 69.09 in September. Building Product buyers returned a score of 55.00 in November compared to 56.66 in October. Buyers in both areas expect a slight decrease in sales activity which reflects the traditional November market behavior.
In the Northeast, buyers’ optimism is tempered headed into the winter months. Building Products buyers returned a KBI score of 39.29 in November compared to 46.42 in October. The building product customers are busy, but predominately on framing and interior millwork, which is good news for trim business but less so for decking and railing. Northeastern kitchen & bath buyers returned a more optimistic KBI score of 52.38 in November compared to 50.00 in October, which could be a direct reflection of the increased quoting activity that has taken place through the last month.
For more information on the WOLF Key Buyer Index, read the detailed explanation or see the latest KBI score at www.wolfleader.com.
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