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B&M ploughs ahead with store openings, as profits soar

B&M reported an 18% jump in profit and 20% increase in revenue to £2.4billion for the year ended March 25, when it opened 53 new sites in the UK.Group pre-tax profits soared by 18.4% to £182.9m during the year, whilst UK sales rose by the same ... 
26 May 2017

ManoMano reveals UK's DIY spending habits

To mark the first International DIY Day, new European DIY online retailer ManoMano has revealed a map of the UK's top DIY habits and buys. 
24 May 2017

Screwfix leaves B&Q in the dust with stunning Q1 performance

Screwfix was the star of the show once again as Kingfisher released results for its first quarter to April 30, 2017, with sales up a staggering 20.3%, a 12.6% boost like-for-like – largely outperforming all other operations including B&Q. 
24 May 2017

Topps profits drop in “challenging” second half

Topps Tiles has seen its adjusted operating profit fall by 2.8% and its adjusted profit before tax drop to the tune of 1.9% year-on-year for the 26 weeks ending April 1, 2017. 
23 May 2017

Squire's in Woking to close for redevelopment

Plans are underway to redevelop Squire's Garden Centres' Woking site by extending the existing shop and improving the plant area with a new outdoor canopy. There will also be a new cafe bar. 
22 May 2017

Rapid loses half its staff as store prepares for closure

After the Liverpool store went into administration earlier this month, more than half the employees at Rapid Discount Outlet have lost their jobs. 
22 May 2017

Online garden centre Crocus buys first bricks and mortar store

Online garden centre and supplier Crocus has bought its first bricks and mortar outlet at Dorney, near Windsor in Berkshire. 
22 May 2017

Bridgford GC gets green light for major redevelopment

Bridgford Garden Centre in Nottingham is to be redeveloped by its owner Edward Tarbatt and leased to Blue Diamond on a 35-year lease. The revamped centre is due to open for trade by spring 2018 and, at more than 140,000sq ft, the development will be ... 
18 May 2017

Ikea to create 1,300 jobs by end of 2018

Swedish retailer Ikea has pledged to created 1,300 new jobs by the end of 2018 and to pay all workers the Real Living Wage. 
17 May 2017

New £10m HQ for Tile Mountatin

Online retailer Tile Mountain has just received a seven figure funding package to facilitate its expansion to a five acre site in Tunstall, Stoke on Trent. 
17 May 2017

Bunnings hires new Homebase boss

Bunnings UK and Ireland today announced the appointment of David Haydon as trading and commercial manager for Homebase. 
17 May 2017

Retail parks market to grow by 14% by 2022

According to the latest data from research and consulting firm GlobalData, the UK retail parks market is set to grow by 13.8% between 2017 and 2022. 
16 May 2017

Hare Hatch Sheeplands closes concessions as council row continues

Several concession businesses have been forced to move out of Twyford-based garden centre Hare Hatch Sheeplands after an injunction was granted to Wokingham Borough Council for the business to stop “illegal trading.” 
16 May 2017

Silver win for GIMA Awards

Members of the Garden Industry Manufacturer's Association (GIMA) team were delighted to be awarded silver at the inaugural Awards Awards ceremony last week. 
16 May 2017

Toolstation ranks top for customer satisfaction

A recent survey conducted by Which? has ranked Toolstation as the top retailer in the country in terms of customer satisfaction and how likely they would be to recommend the retailer. 
15 May 2017

Wickes worker pockets almost £10k in fake refunds

James Parsons, 30, was recently sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, at Reading Crown Court after pleadning guilty to stealing almost £10,000 by issuing fake refunds at Wickes in Newbury. 
15 May 2017

Suppliers out in force at BHETA forum

The British Home Enhanacement Trade Association (BHETA) welcomed hundreds of delegates to its latest forum, with members keen to understand supplier opportunities of working with online retail giant Amazon and wholesaler Decco. 
12 May 2017

Hardware shop Rapid goes into administration

Liverpool's Rapid Discount Outlet, which replaced Rapid Hardware back in 2013, has followed its predecessor into administration. 
10 May 2017

Thief smuggles tortoises from garden centre in his trousers

Daventry garden centre Whilton Locks was recently the victim of a thief who broke into the store's tortoise enclosure and stole two baby tortoises, concealing them in his trouser pockets. 
10 May 2017
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