Ironmongery Trends Report 2025

Insights from 25,000+ Orders Across the UK

The ironmongery sector has seen significant growth and diversification in 2025, driven by rising renovation activity, increasing demand for premium finishes, and strong performance across both consumer and trade markets.

This report analyses 25,000+ real customer orders from the Ironmongery For You database. It highlights the key buying trends, category growth, finish preferences, brand performance, regional insights, and customer behaviour shaping the UK hardware market today.

Headline Insights (2025)

• Top-performing category by revenue: Overhead Door Closers (ranked #1)
• Top category by units sold: Butt Hinges
• Fastest-growing major category (YoY): Full Door Packs (+97.5%)
• Leading finish by revenue share: Antique Brass (10.1% share of recorded finishes)
• Top brand by revenue: From The Anvil
• Fastest-growing major brand (YoY): Spira Brass (+152.6%)

These headline findings point to a market increasingly driven by compliance-led products, complete door upgrades, and design-conscious finish choices.

Dataset & Methodology

This report analyses 26,125 line items from 17,244 orders placed between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025.

• Growth rates are calculated year-on-year
• Revenue performance is expressed using relative rankings and percentage change
• Finish-specific analysis uses only products where a finish value was recorded

Product Category Trends

Which categories drove demand in 2025?

Door-related hardware dominated performance in 2025, with multiple door hardware categories appearing in the top rankings by both revenue and volume.

Top-performing categories (ranked by revenue):

1. Overhead Door Closers
2. Levers on Backplate
3. Levers on Rose
4. Knob Furniture
5. Full Door Packs

Fastest-Growing Major Categories (YoY)

• Full Door Packs: +97.5%
• Knob Furniture: +40.3%
• Butt Hinges: +8.3%
• Transom Door Closers: +11.5%

Several traditionally decorative categories saw year-on-year decline, reinforcing the shift towards functional and project-led purchasing.

Key insight: Growth is being driven by full-door upgrades and compliance-focused products rather than one-off cosmetic replacements.

Finish Preferences & Design Trends

Finish analysis is based on products where a finish value was recorded.

Top Finishes by Revenue Share (2025)

• Antique Brass: 10.1%
• Black: 8.9%
• Beeswax: 6.6%
• Polished Brass: 6.1%
• Silver: 4.7%
• Aged Brass: 4.5%

Traditional and heritage finishes collectively accounted for a significant proportion of sales, while modern polished finishes continued to lose share.

Key insight: Buyers are favouring finishes that align with long-term design schemes, particularly those suited to period and character properties.

Brand Popularity & Market Movement

Brand performance in 2025 showed a clear divide between established leaders and fast-growing challengers.

Leading Brands (Ranked by Revenue)

• From The Anvil
• Dorma
• Frelan Hardware
• Heritage Brass
• Spira Brass

Fastest-Growing Brands (YoY)

• Spira Brass: +152.6%
• Rutland: +101.1%

Several high-volume brands experienced year-on-year decline, indicating a shift in buyer preference towards heritage, specification-led, or specialist ranges.

Key insight: Brand growth is increasingly linked to product specialism, compliance credibility, and finish-led differentiation.

Regional Insights (Delivery Postcode Areas)

Regional demand was analysed using postcode areas.

Highest-Volume Postcode Areas (2025)

• SW – South West London: Chelsea, Kensington, Battersea, Clapham, Putney
• N – North London: Islington, Holloway, Finchley, Muswell Hill
• TN – Tonbridge: Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks (partial)
• GU – Guildford: Guildford, Woking, Godalming, Farnham
• BN – Brighton: Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes
• RG – Reading: Reading, Wokingham, Henley-on-Thames
• W – West London: Ealing, Acton, Chiswick, Shepherd’s Bush
• SE – South East London: Greenwich, Lewisham, Peckham
• BS – Bristol: Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare
• OX – Oxford: Oxford, Abingdon, Witney

While London and the South East continued to generate the highest order volumes, strong demand was also seen across regional hubs.

Key insight: Ironmongery demand is not London-centric — renovation and refurbishment activity is widely distributed across the UK.

Buying Behaviour

Customers frequently purchased multiple compatible products, particularly within door hardware categories.

Seasonality

Peak ordering months in 2025 occurred in:

• October
• September
• August
• July
• May

Key insight: Customers are increasingly planning ironmongery purchases as part of structured projects rather than reactive replacements.

Returns & Product Confidence

Lowest Return-Rate Categories (2025)

• Thumb Latches & Ring Handles (1.6%)
• Overhead Door Closers (2.1%)
• Floor Mounted Door Stops (3.4%)
• Numerals (3.8%)
• T Hinges (4.4%)

Highest Return-Rate Categories (2025)

• Levers on Rose (12.7%)
• Bolt Fix Pull Handles (11.7%)
• Cabinet Knobs (10.5%)
• Bathroom Locks (9.5%)

Key insight: Specification-led products consistently show lower return rates, reinforcing the importance of technical clarity and buyer confidence.

What to Watch in 2026 (Data-Led Predictions)

• Continued demand for door control and compliance-led products
• Ongoing growth in full door packs and bundled purchasing
• Sustained popularity of heritage and aged finishes
• Strong momentum behind fast-growing specialist brands
• Increasing importance of content, guidance, and compatibility support for project buyers