Procurement for Housing Scotland Q3 2023 Sentiment Report

Calmer waters ahead, but don’t drop your guard just yet.

The rollercoaster of the past few years appears to be slowing. Supply is steady, demand is static and the mood across manufacturers, merchants and contractors is one of cautious calm. But beneath that surface quiet, there are still some real pressures building, and the decisions Scottish social landlords make now could look very different depending on how 2024 unfolds.

Every quarter, we go out to the supply chain and ask them straight: how are you feeling, what are you seeing, and where do you think prices are heading? Here’s what they told us.

What you’ll find inside:

• Why manufacturers are far more aligned on 2024 price forecasts than they were six months ago, and what their narrowing predictions tell us about where the market is settling.
• The truth about inflation in the supply chain right now. With energy costs flat and shipping containers back to pre-pandemic rates, are some suppliers still using inflation as cover for unjustified rises?
• Why construction company closures outpaced new starts in H1 2023, and what a net loss of over 34,000 businesses means for capacity when demand picks up again.
• The skills problem that won’t go away. Average weekly construction earnings are climbing even as output stays flat, which points to something more structural than a short-term blip.
• How the China and Taiwan situation is registering across the supply chain, and why suppliers are more resilient to geopolitical shock than you might expect.
• A practical checklist for PfH Scotland members, covering how to approach your 2024 budget negotiations, when to procure and how to protect yourself against price volatility in the months ahead.

Get your copy

Download the Q3 2023 report and head into your budget planning season with a clearer sense of what the market is doing and where it’s likely to go next.