Essential reading for retailers and suppliers in the home improvement market

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BHETA adds live links to its data service

BHETA’s quarterly retail data service now features live links to all the product groups represented in the four categories detailed in BHETA’s online Retailer Zone. This latest refinement to BHETA’s quarterly presentation of GfK’s most recent EPOS ... 
18 January 2019

Wholesalers show support for consumer awareness campaign

Independent retail wholesaler groups and the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) are putting their weight behind April’s consumer awareness campaign, National Home Improvement Month.The campaign is the initiative of the British Home Enhancement ... 
17 January 2019

Tong invests in local economy with £4million development

The garden centre business has brought in Yorkshire contractors to start work on the first phase of a £4million project to develop its Bradford site.Tong Garden Centre has contracted Leeds-based firm, Jennings to do the demolition work, whilst East ... 
17 January 2019

Akzo Nobel announces details of €2 billion capital repayment and share consolidation

Akzo Nobel today announced details of the capital repayment and share consolidation approved by shareholders when it voted in favour of all resolutions at the company's Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) last November, following the sale of its ... 
17 January 2019

Broad Street DIY celebrates its 40th anniversary

Family run DIY store, Broad Street DIY, in Worcestershire proudly celebrated its 40th business anniversary early January 2019. Broad Street DIY, in Bromsgrove, was opened by Tony and Linda Warren on 8 January 1979. The business has grown ... 
16 January 2019

Online builders' merchant achieves 46% growth in sales

Construction Materials Online (CMO) reported sales of £38.6million in 2018. The business has seen rapid growth, having doubled in size since 2016.CMO supplies a range of over 70,000 construction materials to DIY and the trade. The firm received an ... 
16 January 2019

M&S to close 17 more stores

The homeware retailer has announced a list of 17 outlets earmarked for closure. The move forms part of its five-year plan to shut more than 100 stores and have one third of sales online by 2022.The latest round of closures affect 1,045 jobs, with ... 
15 January 2019

DIY Week Awards 2019: Last chance to enter

The deadline for entries to the 2019 DIY Week Awards is fast approaching, with supplier and retailer submissions to be completed online by the end of Friday, January 18.With just days left, don’t miss your chance to be in the running for a DIY Week ... 
14 January 2019

Grafton Group delivers exceptional revenue growth

Grafton Group plc, the international builders merchanting and DIY Group, has issued its trading update for the year ended 31 December 2018 in advance of the announcement of its Final Results for 2018 on 28 February 2019.Group revenue for 2018 was £2.... 
11 January 2019

Robert Dyas has flat Christmas on the back of expensive year

The high street chain saw a 1.1% like-for-like uplift in the six weeks to December 24 – the lowest growth of all of the brands in the Theo Paphitis Retail Group. The trading update follows a year of positive trading for Dyas but profits took a hit ... 
11 January 2019

Grand Illusions launches retail website

The garden and homeware brand has announced the launch of its new website, where consumers can easily browse and purchase items from the range.The website has been transformed to help consumers navigate more easily and explore the collection, which ... 
10 January 2019

Which Steamer stores have been saved?

Following ProCook’s acquisition of the Steamer Trading business, saving the retailer from administration, it has been revealed that 27 stores will join the new owner’s portfolio, whilst 10 face immediate closure.The sale of the business was ... 
10 January 2019

ProCook buys Steamer Trading out of administration

Cookware and kitchen retailer ProCook has announced the purchase of Steamer Trading after the independent specialist kitchenware chain appointed administrators yesterday. The deal saves 27 of the retailer’s 38 stores and includes the e-commerce ... 
10 January 2019

B&M manages profitability in an uncertain market

UK variety goods value retailer, B&M European Value Retail S.A., has today announced a trading update for the third quarter of its current financial year, relating to the 13 week period from 30 September 2018 to 29 December 2018.This saw Group ... 
10 January 2019

Tesco reap the benefits of Christmas rush

In the core Tesco UK business, third quarter like-for-like sales increased by 0.7%, representing the company's twelfth consecutive quarter of growth. In a more challenging market, Tesco said it made significant further improvements to its customer ... 
10 January 2019

Sainsburys profit plummet due to struggling Argos

Total retail sales from J Sainsbury plc have been reported as down by 0.4%, and like-for-like sales decreasing by 1.1%. General Merchandise sales, which includes Argos, declined by 2.3%.The supermarket chain took over catalogue retailer Argos as ... 
9 January 2019

Profits fall at Topps Tiles "against challenging marketing backdrop"

Tile specialist, Topps Tiles Plc has announced a trading update for the 13 week period ended 29 December 2018, with like-for-like revenues for the first 13 weeks of the current financial year decreased by 1.4%, when in 2018 revenue had increased by ... 
9 January 2019

Plans for new Aldi and Wickes in Isle of Wight

Plans have been put in place to redevelop the Newport Football Club site on St George’s Way by the current football ground owners. The mixed development of the site will see both retail opportunities and leisure uses.The development will be made up ... 
8 January 2019

DIY Week Awards judging panels announced

The line-up of judges for the supplier and retailer categories has been revealed, with key representatives from across the home improvement and garden industry set to take part in choosing the 2019 DIY Week Award winners.Each year, two independent ... 
7 January 2019

BHETA to own Exclusively shows outright

The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) has purchased the two minority shareholdings in Brooke House Exhibitions, the owner of the Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively Electrical shows, from Simon Boyd and Christopher Leonard-Morgan.... 
7 January 2019
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