Home-cooked meals, baking, slow cooking, food on the go, entertaining at home...all big trends sparked by recession - and all trends that the housewares industry can benefit from, delegates to this week's Housewares Conference learned. 

As the Easter bank holiday looms the usual warnings of DIY accidents are issued. 

Findel, the parent company of Express Gifts, has closed two of its loss-making businesses. 

Warren Scarr takes up role following departure of Jo Kenrick as part of a board restructure last year. 

Latest figures reveal retail traffic will be up 4% compared with equivalent Easter fortnight last year. 

In its annual results Bosch has revealed its 2008 sales in the UK fell from €2.27bn to €2.02bn. 

Chancellor Alistair Darling bows to pressure and scales back proposed 5% rate increase, which threatened to cripple beleaguered retailers. 

North Wales-based Dee Jays has shut its doors 25 years to the day since is first stated trading. 

M&S has issued its Q4 trading update this morning (March 31) and it is an improvement on the last quarter and much better than many commentators had expected. 

The East of England Co-op chain has taken knives off the shelves of its 135 stores. 

Cookshop chain Steamer Trading is taking over the two Marchants Cookware outlets - a move which will take Steamer into two counties where it currently has no presence. 

DIY chain takes on EGS and the7stars to replace its current agency in an immediate changeover. 

A customer has died after stock fell on him at a B&Q store in Ireland. 

Argos, Walmsley Furnishings and Land of Leather among the retailers expected to shell out millions of pounds in compensation to more than 1,600 people injured by toxic gas emitted from faulty sofas. 

Administrator Deloitte finds substantial deficit in pottery firm’s pension fund as sale of the business is finalised. 

Warm weather in run up to Mother’s `day gives boost to department store’s home ranges, despite overall drop in week’s sales. 

German retailer Metro Group, owners of Makro in the UK, has reported a fall in profits despite increasing sales in its yearly results. 

Next has announced reduced profits and like-for-like sales down but has performed better than many had expected in its yearly results. 

Home improvement group reports full year sales up 11% but UK sales see a 2.6% drop to £4.3bn. 

Thursday June 4 is a date for the diary and not to be missed. An opportunity to spend a day at the UK's premier clay shooting school along with some of the UK's top retailers and DIY and home enhancement suppliers.