READER SURVEY 2023
1. What is your main type of trade? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Builder
35.50%
2
Bricklayer
1.93%
3
Plumber/Installer
10.77%
4
Carpenter/Joiner
33.43%
5
Garden Landscaper
5.39%
6
Painter/Decorator
6.08%
7
Plasterer
4.42%
8
Tiler
0.28%
9
Roofer
1.10%
10
Window Installation
1.10%
2. Which best describes your job function? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Business Owner
71.69%
2
Sub-Contractor
13.40%
3
Other
14.92%
3. How many people are employed in your company?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
1-3
84.12%
2
4-9
9.81%
3
10-20
1.66%
4
21+
4.42%
4. Do you employ an apprentice?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
10.08%
2
No
89.92%
5. Are other family members involved in the business?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
39.50%
2
No
60.50%
6. What type of work are you involved in?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Residential repair, maintenance and improvement
77.90%
2
Domestic new build
10.36%
3
Commercial
8.29%
4
Heritage
3.45%
7. Do you belong to a trade association?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
18.37%
2
No
81.63%
8. How do you promote your business?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Branded workwear
5.80%
2
Vehicle signage
6.08%
3
Local/regional advertising
5.11%
4
Word of mouth
75.97%
5
Other
7.04%
9. How many builders’ merchants do you regularly trade with?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
1
7.32%
2
2-5
84.25%
3
6-9
6.49%
4
10+
1.93%
10. Are you responsible for product/material purchasing decisions?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
94.34%
2
No
5.66%
11. What factors most influence your purchasing decisions?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Professional Builder
52.21%
2
Product/brand awareness
49.45%
3
Quality
68.09%
4
Word of mouth
46.41%
5
Other trade magazines
11.19%
6
Other trade websites
12.43%
7
Radio
3.59%
8
Price/availability
72.79%
9
Customer influence
24.45%
10
Merchant advice/promotions
33.29%
12. Have you ever recommended or purchased a product from a merchant after seeing/reading about it in Professional Builder? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
82.04%
2
No
17.96%
13. Do you stop at the adverts while reading Professional Builder? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
80.80%
2
No
19.20%
14. If yes, do they encourage you to want to find out more about the suppliers and products? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
87.35%
2
No
12.65%
15. How often do you visit a merchant?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Every Day
9.53%
2
4-5 Times a week
17.54%
3
2-3 Times a week
36.46%
4
Once a week
19.75%
5
Once a fortnight
16.71%
16. What merchants do you trade with?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Nationals
11.05%
2
Independents
7.32%
3
Both
81.63%
17. When you visit a merchant, do you pick up a monthly free copy of Professional Builder magazine? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Always
38.81%
2
Sometimes
47.24%
3
Never
13.95%
18. On average, how many other people read your copy of Professional Builder magazine Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
1
58.70%
2
2-5
39.50%
3
6-10
1.10%
4
11+
0.69%
19. Which of the following do you find most useful for information on industry news, supplier information and new products? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Professional Builder magazine
78.73%
2
Other trade magazines
17.68%
3
Local/national radio
3.73%
4
Manufactures literature/websites
34.81%
5
Internet
56.63%
20. How would you find out more information about a product or supplier you have read about in Professional Builder? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Internet search
88.95%
2
Contact the manufacture
25.14%
3
Ask the merchant
19.89%
4
RDR Link
13.67%
21. How are you most likely to view digital information? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Smartphone
50.28%
2
Tablet
20.30%
3
Desktop
26.38%
4
Other
3.04%
22. How do you rate the Professional Builder website? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Excellent
40.30%
2
Good
45.36%
3
Satisfactory
12.98%
4
Poor
1.35%
23. Do you use social media for business purposes?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
32.87%
2
No
67.13%
24. If yes, which of the following do you use?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
69.64%
2
17.86%
3
28.93%
4
You Tube
21.79%
5
22.86%
6
Other
18.21%
25. Do you receive the weekly Professional Builder E- Newsletter?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
72.65%
2
No
27.35%
26. If yes, do you open it?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
88.25%
2
No
11.75%
27. What type of vehicle do you use for business purposes?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Van
70.44%
2
Pick-Up-Truck
7.87%
3
Electric
0.69%
4
Hybrid
1.38%
5
Other
19.61%
28. What make is your business vehicle?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Ford
32.60%
2
Mercedes – Fuso Canter
4.70%
3
Fiat
2.07%
4
VW
11.74%
5
Citroen
6.63%
6
LDV
0.14%
7
Nissan
3.31%
8
Maxus
0.28%
9
Iveco
0.28%
10
MAN
0.28%
11
Peugeot
2.90%
12
Renault
5.52%
13
Vauxhall
10.36%
14
Other
19.20%
29. How often would you change your vehicle? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
1-3 Years
11.05%
2
4-6 Years
41.30%
3
7+ Years
47.65%
30. Is Professional Builder your favourite building trade magazine?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Yes
90.19%
2
No
9.81%
31. Which of the following aspects of Professional Builder magazine do you consider to be the most useful/interesting? (Tick as many as you like) Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Viewpoint
39.92%
2
Adverts
41.16%
3
News
58.70%
4
Features
59.67%
5
New Products
85.91%
6
Product Tests
64.23%
7
Legislation
29.14%
8
Technical Advice - how to articles (Step by Steps)
50.83%
9
Health and Safety
31.91%
10
Business Advice and Tips
24.17%
11
Training News
14.50%
12
Competitions & Give-aways
43.51%
32. For how many years have you been a reader of Professional Builder? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
1-10
41.02%
2
11-20
32.60%
3
21-30
16.57%
4
31+
9.81%
33. Overall, how would you rate Professional Builder magazine?
Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Excellent
48.34%
2
Good
43.78%
3
Satisfactory
6.77%
4
Poor
1.10%
34. Which of the following is of most concern for you or your business in the years ahead? Answer Choices
Response Percent
1
Rising living costs
62.15%
2
Lower wages and pay
18.92%
3
Rising material costs
82.73%
4
Material shortages
47.38%
5
Lack of new industry starters
16.16%
6
Industry standards lowering
25.97%
7
Over reliance on digital technology
25.55%
8
Other
4.14%