With the multi-million pound sales and purchases of three major players in the DIY and garden industry, the repercussions of a Brexit vote and the announcement of all new business rates, not to mention the introduction of the living wage, 2016 has been quite a year.

DIY Week spoke to some of the top representatives of the industry to find out what this year has meant to them, with some interesting perspectives raised.

Said Home Hardware chief executive Martin Elliott, “The EU referendum seemed to affect the confidence of our retail members with an immediate slowing of purchases following the result, but as the retail market maintained its momentum we showed a reasonable growth in orders as stocks needed replenishing. August was particularly strong. This seemed to be driven by the “feel good factor” surrounding the performance of the British team in Rio at the Olympics and a slight improvement in the weather.

"The negative impact of currency devaluation and the corresponding increase in prices that will inevitably follow will be the biggest challenge to us and our members. However, retail performance is generally positive with many of our members doing well at the moment. We will continue to identify opportunities where larger retailers are closing stores and continue to develop our online business to allow our members to take advantage of the multiple channels that are an increasingly important part of modern retail.

"Our approach to 2017 will be to increasingly emphasise and utilise our marketing to drive footfall for our members. We will be reviewing the formats to make it as cost effective as possible so that more of our members can benefit from this key promotional option.”

Garden Centre Association chairman Julian Winfield, too, spoke about Brexit, “"I don’t believe we have seen any negative reaction from our customers to Brexit or events since. The uncertainty worries everyone but our customers are still spending.

“In the medium term, there will be consequences due to the devalued pound and this is likely to push prices up. Retail prices have been very static for some years, so this could be seen as a positive as we need to break through some price points.

“What we don’t know is what will happen with volume, if inflation grows more than wage increases our customers will have less to spend, but as households cut back on foreign holidays and spend more time at home, this may put garden centres in a reasonable position. I believe that we benefit from the lipstick economy, our customers spend a few pounds to feel better and make their homes nicer. An example of this is the good start to the Christmas trade that many centres have experienced this year.”

Mica Co-operative chief executive officer Michael Ball added his perspective on events within the DIY industry in particular, “Back in January Homebase was sold by HRG to the Australian company behind Bunnings Warehouse, a business I have some knowledge of due to family connections Down Under. Homebase has always been quietly considered at the ‘upper end’ of the pricing scale in the DIY market, so I knew Bunnings were likely to make big changes. Indeed they have.

“Interiors departments and concessions have been ripped out, the aisles filled with dump bins and hand written ‘always low prices’ are everywhere. Why they need to be handwritten if they’re always low is a curious quandary, but this now makes a big contrast with B&Q who continued to focus on slick lifestyle marketing and promotions. Early indications on sales are that Bunnings might have judged it right, but whether these sales are going to lead to profits is still uncertain. It will be interesting to see how this new player affects the overall marketplace.”

Bira chief executive Alan Hawkins said, “The dominant event of 2016 has to be the referendum vote and its aftermath. There seems to be an acceptance that during the referendum period there was a slow-down in sales, whilst consumers reflected on the uncertainties ahead. Since the referendum there has, however, been a surprising bounce-back in sales with some surveys showing the best retail sales figures for some years.

"Perhaps Brexit has put a spring in the step of the economy, or maybe people are buying now in anticipation of price rises to come. Certainly, for 2017, price rises must be a concern.  As wages appear to be under control, there has to be a constraint on the level of retail sales going forward as disposal incomes are put under strain.  Many companies are trying to hide price pressures from their customers, either by having bought forward or by absorbing margins for an interim period but, clearly, that cannot continue.

"In general, however, 2016 has seen online sales continuing apace and out-performing bricks and mortar sales. The savvy consumer is demanding more and more value for their hard earned cash. The only hope for independents is that consumers seem to want to spend their money locally. They are also looking for something different, where quality and service are also on offer. Do not be fooled, however, as price is still a significant driving factor when making retail decisions.”

Speaking up for the garden industry, GIMA president Vicky Nuttall declared 2016 “a year like no other,” adding, “most keenly felt in direct relation to the garden industry was the EU Referendum result.

"No business likes uncertainty, but that’s exactly what we got as the results came through. With David Cameron leaving his post, the markets also lost confidence and the pound suffered an immediate drop in value. However, and this is testament to the sheer resilience of our industry, suppliers rallied around to ensure retailers fears were allayed, with price rises kept to a minimum. Manufacturing and new product development continued, moving forward with even more tenacity and desire for innovation. As this edition goes to print, we are faced with further uncertainty on what terms we will leave the EU, so the issue rolls on – but one thing is for sure, the garden industry is tough enough and versatile enough to weather the storm.”