Essential reading for retailers and suppliers in the home improvement market

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Poundworld calls in administrators putting more than 5,000 jobs on line

Discount chain Poundworld has become the latest high street name to fall into administration after attempts to restructure the business have failed.Deliotte restructuring partners Daniel Butters and Clare Boardman have, today, been appointed as ... 
11 June 2018

Garden centres report ‘rollercoaster month’ in April

Sales at garden centres across the country were up and down during April, according to the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade (BoT) report. Outdoor plant sales remained down at -12.73% compared with the same month last year but ... 
11 June 2018

B&Q overhauls kitchen and bathroom sales process

B&Q has entered into a consultation process with 700 employees as a result ofnew plans to simplify the buying process within kitchens & bathrooms, including scrapping its Homefit installation service.The DIY giant has proposed to change the ... 
8 June 2018

British consumers want more government support for indies

New research revealed that nearly three quarters (72%) of UK consumers want the government to do more to back the growth of smaller, independent retailers. According to a YouGov poll of GB consumers, 42% said they would consider shopping with an ... 
8 June 2018

An abundance of inspiration from the HTA catering conference

A Recipe for Growth’ was the theme of this year’s HTA Catering Conference, held on 5 and 6 June, in the new venue of the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The two-day event and exhibition provided a great forum for looking at opportunities and ... 
7 June 2018

Stores still key to shopper journey

Despite numerous CVAs and branch closure plans on the high street, stores offering convenience and a destination shopping experience will continue to provide value for retailers, as online sales grow. Stores are still a key part of the multichannel ... 
7 June 2018

Ultra Furniture Ltd in administration, as business is hit by Tesco Direct closure

UK upholstery manufacturer, Ultra Furniture Ltd, appointed administrators yesterday, resulting in 160 job losses, following news that its biggest customer, Tesco Direct is set to close this summer.Steven Muncaster of Duff & Phelps, was ... 
7 June 2018

Hartley Botanic's 'Tropical Britain' tradestand wins best in show at RHS Chatsworth

British greenhouse and glasshouse manufacturer Hartley Botanic has been awarded the best tradestand accolade at RHS Chatsworth Flower for its ‘tropical Britain’ tradestand. Key to the Lancashire manufacturer’s success has been its single-minded ... 
7 June 2018

Amazon UK on recruitment drive

Online retail giant set to create more than 2,500 permanent jobs in the UK this year in order to meet increasing customer demand and an ongoing expansion of products and services. The new additions will grow Amazon’s total permanent workforce in the ... 
7 June 2018

Carpetright gets go-ahead from shareholders for recovery plan

Flooring specialist, Carpetright has secured shareholder approval for emergency plans to keep the business trading using money raised through a conditional placing. The placing and open offer, which took place on June 5, raised around £60million. ... 
6 June 2018

Consumer spending in DIY stores and garden centres soar in May

The sunshine brought shoppers out in force in May, as consumer expenditure rose significantly during May, peaking over the early Bank holiday, with garden centres recording a year-on-year increase of 50.3% over the weekend, whilst spending in DIY ... 
6 June 2018

Police report 4% increase in shoplifting across UK

Latest figures reveal that retailers have seen an average increase of 4% in shoplifting incidents in the past year, with over 370,000 offences reported in 2017-18.Overall, a total of 378,725 shoplifting incidents were recorded in the UK during the ... 
4 June 2018

John Lewis Partnership acquires home improvement business Opun to enhance home services offer

The John Lewis Partnership today announced that it has acquired Opun, which manages home improvement projects on behalf of customers. The acquisition will strengthen the retailer’s position in the home services market while also complementing its ... 
4 June 2018

Wilsons of Colchester acquire Westbrook & Thompson

DIY Wholesaler Wilsons of Colchester has announced it has acquired Westbrook & Thompson, the South London wholesaler of household hardware and DIY products who has been established since 1919, offering products and service to retailers and trade ... 
1 June 2018

BHS.com’s fate shows retailers need physical stores and website to survive

Yesterday’s announcement that Al Manna Group would be scrapping the resurrected BHS website demonstrates that UK department stores, can only survive by employing a multi-channel sales approach that incorporates both high street shops and a website, ... 
1 June 2018

Sugru inventor nominated for European Inventor Award

Irish inventor Jane ní Dhulchaointigh and her team have been nominated for a European Patent Office (EPO) prize for creating the world's first mouldable glue.Mrs ní Dhulchaointigh is the first ever Irish finalist thanks to the putty-like, mouldable ... 
1 June 2018

B&M profits soar as customers flock to discount retailers

Discount retailer B&M has announced a positive result in revenue despite purse strings tightening and high street retailers struggling to keep afloat.Income at B&M European Value Retail S.A. for the 53 weeks to 31 March 2018 was £3.03bn ... 
1 June 2018

Stax takes to the road with mobile showroom

Stax Trade Centres has invested in a new mobile showroom that is visiting customers’ premises to showcase its workwear range.The showroom, which is mounted on a road trailer, is a first for Stax, which supplies workwear services to a wide range of ... 
1 June 2018

BHS online arm to cease trading

The Qatar-based Al Mana Group, which bought BHS in 2016, will close down UK-based BHS.com following “a strategic review” of the business, with plans to focus resources on its international store-based business.The UK-based online retailer will close ... 
31 May 2018

Retailers need to do more to target rising number of female DIYers

Although four in 10 shoppers think home improvement stores are aimed at men, British women are the biggest spenders, splashing out over £300 a yearNew research released today by Barclaycard reveals a rise in females doing it for themselves as one in ... 
25 May 2018
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