About Materials Market

The UK construction materials supply chain is highly localised and fragmented. There is effectively a local supplier for every few square miles, and most operate fewer than two branches. This lack of consolidation forces customers to contact multiple suppliers to source materials, compare prices and secure suitable lead times.

Materials Market is a UK‑based digital marketplace for construction materials. We bring together a large network of suppliers with over 1,000 branches nationwide, so trade professionals and DIY customers can buy bulky, first‑fix materials online through a single account.

Customers can avoid the hassle of calling around for quotes, checking stock, or comparing delivery times. Products range from timber, sheet materials, insulation and roofing to drylining, covering building projects of all types and sizes.

The Origins of Materials Market

Like many successful ventures, Materials Market began with a real-world problem.

Founders Samuel Hunt and Andrew Haehn met in 2013 while working as buyers for a small roofing contractor in London, facing the daily challenge of getting materials to site on time and within budget. Their work meant phoning supplier after supplier to check availability, negotiate prices and place orders. Although there were plenty of suppliers in the market, finding one that met every requirement for each project was extremely difficult. The idea of reaching them all at once through a single platform began to take shape in Samuel’s mind.

In a small Japanese restaurant in Camden, Samuel and Andrew sketched out plans for a website that would unite a disparate network of suppliers to offer competitive prices, reliable deliveries, and strong service to both Trade and DIY customers. By encouraging suppliers to work through a single platform they saw the opportunity to build a proposition stronger than any single supplier could offer alone.

 

 Materials Market Today

Materials Market, officially registered as Materials Market Trading UK Limited, was founded on the 8th December 2020 by Samuel Hunt and Andrew Haehn

Starting from the back bedroom of Andrew’s North London flat with nothing more than a whiteboard, a whippet and a vision, Materials Market grew within just a few years into one of the UK’s leading online platforms for construction materials. Today, it serves thousands of customers and generates millions of pounds in sales for supply chain partners nationwide.

With backing from notable London-based VC Fuel Ventures, the Materials Market team has grown to more than thirty members, all focused on building a smarter, more efficient market for buying and selling construction materials.

 

 

Our Supplier Network

Materials Market brings this fragmented supply chain together in a single platform, creating a strong proposition for customers. Our network of more than 1,000 branches is at the core of our business. We partner with a wide range of suppliers, from major national players to small independent local merchants. Every supplier is vetted before joining the platform and is supported by our experienced Supplier Team to help ensure customers receive a high standard of service.

 

 

 

 

Our Customer Base

We support a wide mix of customers across the UK, from small builders and contractors to larger firms and serious DIYers.

Trade customers use Materials Market to keep sites supplied with bulky, first‑fix materials through a single account, instead of managing multiple local suppliers and ad-hoc deals. DIY and homeowner customers come to us when they want clear information, competitive, market-informed prices and help getting heavy materials delivered for one‑off projects.

As the marketplace grows, we continue to add new suppliers, product categories and ways to buy, so more projects can be supported under the same model.

Our Tech

Much of the technology that powers our business sits behind the scenes, but it underpins every step of the process. From the outset, we have aimed to be a digital-first company, constantly exploring how technology can improve the experience for both customers and suppliers.

Co-ordinating pricing, sales, allocation and delivery for localised construction materials in a fragmented market is complex. Our dedicated product development team is continually advancing our marketplace technology, building tools and systems that make sourcing and supplying construction materials simpler and more efficient for everyone involved.