Essential reading for retailers and suppliers in the home improvement market

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Xylella 30 Day Action Plan from the HTA

Due to the threat of Xylella fastidiosa and the potential devastation it poses to the horticultural industry the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has created a 30-day action plan. Through initiatives such as education and sharing best practice,... 
30 April 2018

Trago Mills opens mega store in Merthyr Tydfil

South West discount retailer, Trago Mills, opened its brand new £65million mega store in Merthyr Tydfil last on Saturday. The store, which opened on April 21, is Trago’s first-ever Welsh location and its first site outside Cornwall and Devon ... 
27 April 2018

B&Q welcomes EU ban on pesticides

The European Union has voted to bring in a total ban on the outdoor use of three of the world’s most widely-used insecticides, due to the risk they pose to the bee population. DIY and garden chain B&Q has come out in support of the decision ... 
27 April 2018

Hillier set for Chelsea 'first' with Royal Wedding installation

Hillier Garden Centres will make history, as the family-run business looks set to create a special display at the entrance of the Grand Pavilion at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. It is the first time the Royal Horticultural Society has ever ... 
27 April 2018

Struggling Bunnings UK and Ireland continues its downward slope

Wesfarmers Limited today announced its retail sales results for the third quarter of the 2018 financial year, reporting a hit from Bunnings UK and Ireland (BUKI) due to adverse weather conditions. Managing Director Rob Scott said the sales ... 
26 April 2018

Hanging basket masterclass at Squire’s to best Easter washout

Squire’s Garden Centres are running its very popular “Large Summer Hanging Basket” planting masterclass on Friday May 18 at 10am and 2pm.Hanging baskets can make a real statement in your garden and Squire’s gardening experts will show you how to ... 
26 April 2018

Akzo Nobel completes separation of specialty chemicals

Akzo Nobel N.V. has publushed its results for the first quarter 2018, having successfully completed the dual-track process for the separation of Specialty Chemicals; AkzoNobel to sell Specialty Chemicals to The Carlyle Group and GIC for €10.1 ... 
24 April 2018

Planning application submitted for new Bunnings store in Ashford

Bunnings UK and Ireland (BUKI) has opened three stores in Kent since its acquirement of Homebase in February 2016, with stores in Thanet, Sittingbourne and Folkestone. Despite an unscheduled review of BUKI by parent company Wesfarmers in February, ... 
23 April 2018

Garden centres hope for better weather after Easter washout

Garden centres across the country were affected by the bad weather during the early Easter break (March, 2018) according to the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade (BoT) report.Compared to the same month last year (2017) sales in ... 
20 April 2018

New distribution centre for B&Q in Swindon to create 100 new jobs

Kingfisher plc, the international home improvement company, has signed contracts on a new B&Q distribution centre (DC) in Swindon. The new site will improve efficiencies within the B&Q supply chain, enabling it to maximise product ... 
20 April 2018

March footfall is the steepest year on year fall since 2010 says BRC

Year-on-year, footfall in March decreased by 6%, a substantial decline compared to the positive rate of 1.3% seen for March 2017 and the steepest year on year fall since the end of 2010. The 12-month average is -1.4%.There was no growth in Footfall ... 
17 April 2018

Gardman announces move back to old warehouse after fire at Daventry

Garden products supplier, Gardman, has released a service update reporting it has fully operationalisted its previous site in Kings Lynn following a fire that destroyed the company's new warehouse in Daventry where more than 50 firefighters were ... 
17 April 2018

63% of homeowners admit to not knowing where to start with DIY tasks, says YouGov

A new survey from YouGov, on behalf of John Lewis Home Solutions, has found that the nation's homeowners are turning to tradespeople to carry out even the most basic DIY tasks rather than attempting it themselves. 78% said they would use a trusted ... 
13 April 2018

Carpetright announces it will close 92 stores

Carpetright is today announcing a proposal to address its legacy property issues and reduce the size of its UK property estate and rental cost base by the implementation of a company voluntary arrangement (CVA).The directors of the company have ... 
12 April 2018

Fire at Strikes garden centre has "destroyed most of the centre"

A huge fire broke out at Strikes Garden Centre in Stokesley on Friday evening (April 6), causing massive damage to the majority of the centre. Fire crews were called at 21:20 BST on Friday, with eight fire engines and 40 firefighters attending at ... 
9 April 2018

Spring gathering for Independents

The sun shined down on Independent retailers as they came together at Morris Mica in Alcester on Sunday for the first of two Spring Mica Co-operative Meetings.The meetings follow on from well attended visits to two Gold Award winners Halls Mica in ... 
6 April 2018

Gender pay gap in the DIY and Garden industry revealed

Today marks the deadline for businesses to submit a report with their gender pay gap figures, which has since revealed that the average pay gap in the UK is 18.4% in favour of men.The gender pay gap is not the same as having unequal pay, which would ... 
5 April 2018

53% of retailers admit "always on" sales are damaging profits

New research from payments provider Klarna, shows that retailers are under increasing pressure to discount to keep up with competition and rising customer expectations.Discounting is no longer confined to the traditional winter and summer sales, the ... 
5 April 2018

Bunnings Warehouse opens new store in Somerset

Home improvement and garden retailer Bunnings Warehouse officially opened its doors in Frome today (4 April).The new store is 47,000 square feet and offers customers a wide range of global market-leading brands. Other services include everything ... 
4 April 2018

Heavy rain negatively impacted retail footfall for Easter Weekend

According to Springboard, shoppers have still been visiting retail destinations this Easter Weekend, despite rain across much of the UK.While rain impacted the high streets, where footfall was noticeably down (by -9.6% on Friday and by -6.9% on ... 
4 April 2018
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