Retail Paint or Trade Paint – What is the Difference?

The difference in retail paint Vs trade paint is quite significant and it’s important to know what you’re buying. Just because a tin of paint has the word “Dulux” or “Crown” on it, do not necessarily jump to the conclusion you’re buying quality.

The way a paint manufacturer designs a product is by first looking at the target audience, working out the cost a tin of paint should be for a retailer to sell a high volume. Then produce the best product they can for that budget.

Retail paint, the type you’ll find in places like B&Q or Homebase, is made for the DIY market. The paint is of a lower quality, made from cheaper materials and sold to people who don’t really know the difference.

Trade paint, the type you find at trade counters, is made for the professional decorator. The paint may cost a lot more; however, it is made from better quality materials and the product will perform to a higher level.

Some of the qualities that lack in retail paint Vs trade paint are opacity, ease of use, discolouration over time and durability. Not just that but trade paint will normally go further and exterior trade paint will last longer.

Dulux Matt Emulsion Vs Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt

I could have chosen any one of a thousand examples, but I chose an obvious one. Let’s talk about Dulux matt emulsion in comparison to its trade counterpart, which is Dulux Trade vinyl matt.

• Opacity – Not as good, meaning you may need apply an additional coat of paint.
• Durability – try to wipe a wall finished in Dulux matt and you will remove the paint. Trade paint will stand up to a light clean. This is due to the amount of polymer binders in each product.
• Ease of use – Dulux matt remains porous, meaning moisture is drawn out of the second coat into the first and causes your brush or roller to drag. This is not only annoying, buy will restrict your capabilities when cutting a straight line.
• Overall finish – The Dulux retail matt emulsion drags and pulls meaning you get a lot more issues with roller marks and brush marks. The sheen level is slightly lower with the retail, however the overall finish is compromised.
• Coverage is poor, meaning you will need more paint per coat than if you were using trade.
• Price – Dulux matt emulsion is about half the price as Dulux trade vinyl matt.

Dulux Weathershield Vs Dulux TRADE Weathershield

I thought I’d give you another little comparison. Dulux Trade Weathershield is probably the brand leader when it comes to exterior paints. However, the Dulux retail exterior paints are also called “Weathershield”. Apart from different images on the tin, the only difference you’ll notice when buying the paint is the word “trade” cannot be found on the retail tin.

Let’s have a look at the masonry paint (again, I could have chosen any product out of the Weathershield range and the results would be similar). Both the Dulux Trade Weathershield and Dulux Weathershield come in a range of colours, can be applied to bare masonry without the need for a separate primer and recoat time is roughly 2 – 4 hours. So, what is the difference between Dulux Trade Weathershield and Dulux Weathershield? The retail version is a lot cheaper, so it’s obvious they stuck to a tighter budget when choosing which materials they use.

The first real difference is opacity!! If you go for Dulux Weathershield retail masonry paint, then expect to have to apply an extra coat. The difference is drastic too, you can tell that Dulux have really cut back on pigment when manufacturing their retail paint.

The other big difference is the longevity of your finished product. Both the retail and trade versions claim “15 years protection”. I have seen properties painted in both Dulux Weathershield and Dulux Trade Weathershield and seen how both paint finishes age over time. The colour starts to fade in the retail paint long before that of the trade. For this reason alone, it’s a no brainer for me. I don’t understand why anyone would still opt to save a few quid on retail, have to apply an extra coat, then have to repaint it again sooner.

Where to Buy Trade Paint

If after reading this you still want to buy retail paint, get yourself down to any bog standard DIY store. Even B&Q or Homebased. Anywhere designed to sell to the homeowner. If you want a proper product to do a proper job, get yourself down to a Trade counter and buy directly from Dulux, Johnstone’s or Crown. All three of the big trade brands manufacture good quality trade products and you will get great advice by going directly to the source. The only downside is, unless you have a trade account with favourable terms, your paint will be very expensive. It is normally a lot cheaper to buy your paint online. One of the best website I know of for trade paint is The Decorating Centre Online. Not only will you pick up trade quality products at reasonable prices, but their colour matching service is second-to-non, meaning you can have a Farrow and Ball colour mixed into a Johnstone’s product if you wanted. Click here to visit Decorating Centre Online.

The other website I use on a regular basis is The Paint Shed, who are so competitive that Professional Decorators use their listed prices to negotiate better rates on their accounts at different trade counters. Click here to visit the Paint Shed.

As for the best tools, that’s a whole new blog. However, we have put together our own Amazon Page which lists all the products a Professional Decorator would use. All the most popular, high-quality brushes, rollers, and other tools. Click here to visit.

Final Thoughts

OK, we’ve established that trade paint is more expensive than retail, but it is also better quality. You may be trying to weigh up if it’s worth paying the extra, or whether you really need to? Well, all I can say is decorators know the difference between retail Vs trade paint, and we will always opt for trade.

For me, I don’t see the point in trying to save an a few quid if it means you’re left with a sub-standard finish that will not last as long. It doesn’t matter how good your tools are if the material you’re applying lets you down. My advice would be to pay a little bit more for trade paint and use it to achieve a finish to be proud of.

FAQs

Is it worth paying extra for trade paint?

Put it this way; I’m a Painter and Decorator. If I could switch to retail paint and achieve the same finish, then I would, and I’d make a lot more profit. However, I can’t. You might spend more money by going for trade, but the results will be better, and your work will look good for longer.

What’s the difference between trade and contract paint?

Contract paint is a step up in terms of quality and price from retail paint, but a step down from trade paint. Contract paint is mostly used by builders and multi-trades.

What paint do Decorators use?

Professional Decorators tend to stick with trade paint. We do this because trade paint is good quality, but still competitive on price.

Can the public use Dulux Trade?

Trade Paint can be purchased by anyone. You can go to any trade centre and buy paint. However, unless you’re entitled to a trade discount, it’s normally cheaper to buy online.

What do Other Decorators Think When it comes to Retail Vs Trade Paint?