Essential reading for retailers and suppliers in the home improvement market

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Glee's New Product Showcase 2019 winners revealed

Eleven ground-breaking new garden products have been confirmed as the winners of the coveted Glee New Product Showcase 2019, at a special award presentation organised and run by Garden Trade News.Selected from hundreds of entries showcased at Glee (... 
11 September 2019

Homebase launches new creative platform with Atomic

Home and DIY giant, Homebase, has announced it is launching a fresh, new-look creative to support its new autumn range and kitchens.The campaign signals a shift towards a more emotionally-led communications approach and is the first under Homebase's ... 
11 September 2019

Wyevale sells last of its centres to BGC

Wyevale Garden Centres has announced it has sold its remaining trading business to British Garden Centres. Since the sale process began in May last year, Wyevale has sold 145 garden centres in 57 separate transactions, with over 90% continuing to ... 
11 September 2019

MarXman awarded retailers choice award at National Hardware Show

MarXman, the UK manufactured professional marking tool, was awarded the prestigious “Retailers Choice Award” at the 2019 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.A panel of volunteer judges from a wide range of home improvement retailers took on the task ... 
10 September 2019

Sipcam announces new distribution partnership with Thompson & Morgan

As part of the ongoing growth and expansion of Sipcam Home & Garden, the company has announced a new distribution partnership with the seed and horticultural brand supplier, Thompson & Morgan.As of October 2019, Thompson and Morgan will be ... 
10 September 2019

Cornish couple acquire Chacewater Garden Centre in Truro

A Cornish couple have purchased a second garden centre in Truro with the support of a six-figure finance package from HSBC UK, enabling them to expand their blossoming horticultural business. Husband and wife duo Chris and Liz Finney have acquired ... 
10 September 2019

Akzo Nobel announces 2020 colour of the year

Tranquil Dawn has been announced as Akzo Nobel’s Colour of the Year for 2020. The culmination of extensive trend research by experts around the world, the company has said it is designed to capture the essence of what makes us human as the dawn of a ... 
10 September 2019

Hottest July on record sends core gardening lines soaring

Outdoor plants, seeds and bulbs, and garden sundries were amongst the key garden categories that recorded double-digit growth in July, thanks to hot weather over the summer.According to the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade (BoT )... 
9 September 2019

Toolstation opens three new branches today

The trade chain is continuing its roll out, with seven new branches set to open this month - three of which are officially opening their doors today – and other locations in the pipeline set to take the estate to 381.Toolstation is opening trade ... 
9 September 2019

High street footfall declines further while retail parks rise

Reports from the BRC and Springboard has shown footfall figures for August, which shows a decline by 1.3%, compared to the same point last year when it declined by 1.6%. On a three-month basis, footfall decreased by 2.1%. The six and twelve–month ... 
9 September 2019

SBM Life Science announces strategic partnership with Stax

SBM Life Science has announced it has agreed a sole strategic distribution partnership for the traditional trade business with Stax Trade Centres, due to begin from October 1, 2019.. Nick Walton, who heads up the UK/I operation for SBM Life Science, ... 
6 September 2019

Brits take to Google to answer smart meter queries

Recent research from SafeStyle has shown that customers are turning to Google to solve household queries and DIY conundrums, especially when it comes to new home technology including smart meters.[1] And of those queries, topics range from the ... 
6 September 2019

Outdoor living sales continue to soar at John Lewis

As the good weather continues and consumers seek to make the most of their gardens, the department store chain reported another big spike in sales of barbecues and outdoor furniture last week, despite home sales being down overall.Total sales for ... 
5 September 2019

Retail salaries rise, but number of vacancies falls dramatically

As uncertainty looms over the UK economy, retail businesses took action to hike up their pay in August, in a bid to combat a typically tricky period for hiring. In fact, the latest job market data reveals that salaries for new roles have risen by 1.4%... 
5 September 2019

Home Improvement brands report success with 'addressable' ads

Tapi and Bathroom Village are amongst a number of retailers to see targeted TV campaigns give business a boost. According to new research from Sky Media and, addressable TV – which targets a specific customer type or even location – can boost ad ... 
5 September 2019

What More invests in future of employees with apprenticeship scheme

What More UK are investing in the future of employees and young adults in education through funding apprenticeship and NVQ courses at their Altham-based warehouse site.A number of their existing employees, including James Howell and Alex Graham, ... 
5 September 2019

Businesses come together to urge business rates inquiry results

The British Independent Retailers Assocation (BIRA) has joined forces with a number of bodies, including the BRC and Association of Convenience Stores, to urge the Treasury Select Committee to release the findings of its inquiry into business rates. ... 
5 September 2019

Toolbank parent overhauls HR & payroll system

Dormole says it is laying the foundations for future growth by undertaking a major overhaul of its HR and payroll processes in partnership with MHR.The family-owned Dormole group of companies which includes Toolbank, Forgefix, Faithfull, Olympia, ... 
5 September 2019

The Range set to open new store in Derbyshire

Value retailer The Range has announced it is to open another store in Derbyshire later this year. The firm, which sells products for the home, leisure and gardens, has confirmed it will open a new superstore at Somercotes.The building of the new ... 
4 September 2019

Dunelm sees strong growth in store and online

Homeware giant Dunelm Group plc has announced its preliminary results to June 29 2019. The brand’s total like-for-like (LFL) sales increased by 10.7% with strong growth both in stores (7.7%) and dunelm.com (35.1%).Dunelm’s supposed current aim is to ... 
4 September 2019
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