Bill sets out his stall in the ongoing business rates debate... Read entry

The lates issue of DIY Week (August 23) includes our annual DIY Retail Leaders supplement, which details the top players within the UK DIY industry.... Read entry

Akzo Nobel sales director Alistair McAuley gives his account of the Dulux Let's Colour team's challenge cycling across the UK from John O'Groats to Lands End. ... Read entry

Every month Beyond Analysis ceo Paul Alexander will offer advice and answer DIY Week readers’ questions about how best to utilise the internet for your business ... Read entry

The biggest news in the garden industry at the moment is by far the EU's planned ban on neonicotinoid pesticides.... Read entry

I feel as though I am forever discussing the weather at the moment but then, I doubt very much that I'm the only one - and why break from the British stereotype? ... Read entry

For some, the Easter break flew by far too quickly but, for many retailers, the long weekend probably dragged on, with yet more arctic-style weather and disappointing sales.... Read entry

Well it looks like Waitrose is going into gardening in a big way. Not content with poaching gardening guru and national treasure Alan Titchmarsh from B&Q, or with launching a new garden centre in Newbury, the JLP-owned grocery chain is now introducing 6,000 garden products across its network of stores and online, and has even launched a dedicated garden website.... Read entry

Two sobering reports landed in my inbox at the end of last month. According to The Local Data Company, while the number of independent shops nudged up in 2012, during the second half slightly more closed down than opened - the first time this has happened for two years. ... Read entry

I have to take my hat off to the Brintex team who organised a much-improved Totally show this year.... Read entry