Firstly I should start by wishing you all a happy New Year. And, if Verdict's latest report is anything to go by, it should be a happier year for our sector, with the DIY and garden market forecast to be the strongest retail category for projected growth.

Don't be spooked, shoppers won't cancel Christmas. Those are the words of business services firm BDO after less than exciting retail sales in November. And, judging by the amount of money I've spent over the past few weeks, I'd say there's every reason to believe in BDO's prediction of a last-minute rush from shoppers.

Having seen John Lewis' brilliant new Christmas television ad for the first time last week ("It made me cry," someone in the office said, but meaning in a good way), I found myself having a conversation with a few friends about both John Lewis and Waitrose. It speaks volumes that no one touched on prices, products, location...all we were interested in finding out was whether anyone had actually ever had a bad experience in a JLP store.

While many topics and categories in our sector are determined by the calendar, the subject of point of sale and merchandising is something that is ultimately always relevant to our readers.

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.

"Yes, consumers are being more cautious - but that's trendy now, isn't it?" Those are the words on everyone's lips these days - whether from retailers being interviewed, a conference or presentation speaker, or a TV personality salivating over a bargain bin like it's a bucket of chicken.

Yes, the summer has admittedly been a bit of a washout, but the wet weather doesn't seem to have dampened the spirits of the garden retailers and suppliers we spoke to for our recent garden market special.

It is quite likely that the term 'cash mob' is something you've not come across before but it's a trend that seems to be gathering pace on the UK's high streets and might be worth looking into.

And so it begins...weeks on end of high drama, of nerve-jangling apprehension and nail-biting tension, of displays of human endeavour and endurance taken to the limit, of dreams of glory and, perhaps ultimately, of bitter frustrations and disappointments.

B&Q's like-for-like sales in UK and Ireland in the first 23 weeks of the current year were down 5.6% compared with the same period the previous year. On the face of it, that's a pretty unimpressive figure.