The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) has launched a new retail data service featuring key EPOS statistics for Q2 2018, showing value growth in DIY, housewares, small electricals and garden.

Garden showed the biggest uptake, thanks, says BHETA, to the seasonality of the sector along with recent good weather.

Weather was also a factor in the housewares category where bar-ware and outdoor and seasonal offset slight declines in some of the other product groups and a hike in the cookware and bakeware category could be traced to a new brand entering the market within the last 12 months. In small electricals, pick up in air treatment and air cooling was evident in the figures.

The home improvement (DIY) category also saw mixed fortunes across the product groups with many of the indoor sectors such as wall and floorcoverings showing a downturn, while summer’s traditionally larger scale projects clearly drove growth in tools, workwear, safety wear and protective clothing.

Circulated in infographic form, the BHETA GfK Quarterly POS Index is available to members thanks to the trade association’s exclusive deal with research and data provider GfK.

The report, which correlates with the four categories detailed in BHETA’s online Retailer Zone, reflects all the products in which BHETA members trade.

Commenting on the first set of GfK EPOS figures to be available in this form, BHETA housewares sector director Will Jones said: “Providing information in this category-specific way will enable BHETA members to benchmark their own company’s performance against the market.”

Home improvement (DIY) sector director, Paul Grinsell added: “The BHETA GfK Quarterly POS Index provides bite-sized chunks of contemporary, actionable information. We will be picking up on the implications and opportunities at BHETA forums where speakers from GfK will join members to discuss the data.