Renowned businessman Sir Gerry Robinson to offer advice and financial support to some of Britain’s businesses. 

Payless, a name which disappeared from the UK diy market a decade ago, is back... 

Differing figures and reports leave sales predictions open to speculation for festive period. 

Sam's Trade Centre is the latest company to lend it's support to Britain's Best Retailer Awards organised by DIY Week, www.diyweek.net and sister titles Housewares Magazine www.housewareslive.net, and Hardware and Garden Review. 

Newly appointed director of e-commerce, Deborah Poll is the second member of senior management to quit the garden centre chain in two months. 

DIY retailer Wickes has raised a fantastic £500,000 in its first ever national charity partnership with cancer charity Leukaemia Research with plans to extend the partnership until the end of 2009. 

B&Q has announced that it is launching a new advertising campaign that signals a return to using real-life store staff. 

Webbs of Wychbold picked up seven out of 11 awards at the recent Garden Centre Association (GCA) Midlands Area Awards presentation. 

Homebase has reported a like-for-like sales drop of 10.3% for the 26-week period to August 30. 

The Co-operative Group has been given the go ahead by the Office of Fair Trading for its £1.6bn deal to purchase the Somerfield chain. 

Despite a drop of more than 17% in visitor figures from just over 22,000 last year to 18,112 this year, Glee show director Daniel Thurlow was pleased with the show... 

In what was perhaps the clearest indication so far of Tesco's expansion plans for the Dobbies garden centre chain, the company applied for planning permission to double the size of its head office building in Midlothian earlier this month. 

Home improvement retailer rolls out new facility across seven stores, following launch of national 'online stock check' service in May. 

Marks & Spencer is the latest high street retailer to announce job cuts in an effort to mitigate declining sales in the face of the credit crunch. 

Wilkinson has announced a makeover with a new look to be trialled in three of its stores across the company. 

House of Fraser has said it would consider buying the 35% of the chain owned by troubled Icelandic investment group Baugur...and that it has the funds to do so. 

Shares in the major UK DIY retailers suffered after Travis Perkins, owner of Wickes, reported a 10% drop in sales in September and early October. 

The remaining loss-making stores that weren't saved in the management buyout of MFI last month will be wound down soon if no buyer is found. 

Bromley branch the latest in a line of stores axed by the furniture retailer in a bid revive its fortunes 

Less than two months after a management buyout of the paint company is announced, the chief executive makes a surprise exit.