SALES of construction equipment in Q1 2018 rose by almost 6%, with telehandler sales increasing particularly dramatically, new figures have revealed.
The UK equipment statistics exchange said that despite a “weak” construction market in the first quarter of the year, retail sales of construction and earthmoving equipment grew by 5.7% compared with the same period in 2017. However, levels of growth are showing a “slowing momentum”, considering growth in the first quarter of last year was over 10%.
The most popular machines in the UK are mini and midi excavators, with this market sector experiencing 8% growth in Q1. The strongest growth was for telehandlers, where sales increased by more than 27% compared with Q1 2017. The strong housebuilding sector is said to be driving demand for smaller types of kit.
Compaction rollers continued to see the weakest sales in the first quarter, partly due to the emphasis by Highways England to invest on smart motorways.
