Saturday's sunshine proved too tempting for shoppers as the department store chain experienced a 5.3% drop in trade for the week ending August 8. 

Allied makes 850 redundancies after administrators fail to find a buyer for the ailing carpet chain. 

Swedish 'usefulshopp' set to open new 1,900 sq m branch in main shopping area of town. 

Building products manufacturer doubles the size of its fleet of branded articulated vehicles to meet European demand. 

DIY Den fined £715 after selling knife blades to two schoolgirls in council sting operation. 

A garden centre employee was tied up and the manager held at knifepoint in an early morning attack on Monday, August 10. 

Wet weather and discounting turn homeowners' focus indoors, increasing sales of homewares and furniture. 

New kid on the block opens 100 sq m outdoor furniture showroom in Hindley Green, Manchester as part of its 'aggressive' pursuit of market share. 

Founder of David Messams in Chichester passed away August 9 after 50 years in the industry. 

Former head of business planning Colin Golding takes the helm. 

Firms finding it easier to obtain new credit for the first time this year, despite 50% reporting a rise in finance costs and the continuing struggle for trade credit insurance. 

Department store chain experiences boost in sales of furniture, lighting and textiles, as well as big ticket items, thanks to increase in footfall as people holiday at home. 

Survey by British Chambers of Commerce finds that one in two firms plan to make redundancies over the next six months. 

DIY chain in talks with creditors over deal that could save around £12m a year from non-trading properties. 

Colour trend research by Akzo Nobel reveals that people's choice of colour is influenced by the state of the economy, with neutral tones favoured for interiors during a downturn. 

Synovate records an encouraging year-on-year increase in non-food footfall, with July up 8.4% on previous month. 

Tile and flooring specialist reports a further sales fall of 0.3% on half-year results, following the release of its latest interim management statement. 

Carpet and floor coverings retailer reveals encouraging results, with first like-for-like sales growth in a quarter for more than a year. 

Show director Paul Grinsell believes 'optimism is returning' in the DIY and security sectors. 

Half year results for Ironmongery Direct, released this morning show the company is bucking the retail trend with turnover up 36% to £4.5m compared with £3.3m for the same period in 2008 and operating profits up 62% to £105k compared with £65k.