Janet and John Hawksworth of J&J Hardware, Saffron Lane, Leicester, retire after running store for 30 years. 

Leading garden brand The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and wholesaler Solus Garden & Leisure have revealed plans that would see the businesses join forces in the UK. 

2013 was a milestone year for the hand tools and security supplier, who reported a significant increase in sales thanks to a number of marketing-led and sales driven initiatives. 

Travis Perkins has conducted a survey among homeowners, which reveals what consumers think about apprentices and training. 

Growing activity in the housing market delivered a good year for builder's merchant and DIY group Travis Perkins, but investment in pricing proved a drag on profits at its Wickes business. 

Despite the wet weather in recent months, retailers experienced rapid growth in sales in the year to February, beating all expectations. 

Homebase has added more than 100 pieces of furniture, garden accessories, pots and planters to its outdoor living range for this year. 

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned Victoria Plum, trading as Victoria Plumb, from showing a misleading advert from its Autumn Savings Event again. 

Two brothers have opened Lea Road Hardware in Penn Fields, Wolverhampton because they claimed the community desperately needed a hardware store after the closure of three others in the area. 

Even though much of the UK was hit by rain and wind at the beginning of the year, a milder start to 2014 has seen outdoor plant sales rise by 41% at GCA garden centres when compared to last year. 

Garden King garden centre in Newhall has revealed plans for expansion that will include a brand new restaurant. 

A crowd of bird enthusiasts attended the official opening of a newly-refurbished bird hide at Millbrook Garden Centre near Gravesend earlier this month. 

The boards of EDRA and fediyma have announced that Ray Colman, the ex-chief executive officer of Woodie's DIY Ireland, will receive the European Home Improvement Lifetime Award. 

Tickets for The Housewares Conference & Innovation Awards 2014 are selling fast and delegates are being urged to book a place now to avoid disappointment. 

United Carpets has reported that like-for-like sales rose by 5.4% year-on-year in the first 21 weeks of the second half of its financial year. 

The growing popularity of click-and-collect is highlighted in a new survey, which shows that 45% of consumers now say they have used it in the past year for their online purchases. 

QD Group has expanded its portfolio of Cherry Lane Garden Centres with the acquisition of Early Dawn Nurseries near Lowestoft in Suffolk. 

This year's Totally DIY and Totally Tools shows have provided an industry boost, following visits from key retailers, a bigger show with plenty of fresh content and positive messages from industry commentators about the future. 

Wickes has launched a charity tool trade-in across its UK stores to enable customers to recycle any tool in return for a discount. 

Millbrook Garden Centre's Gravesend branch has won a visit from ITV gardener David Domoney as part of Garden Re-Leaf weekend.