wilko reported a year of solid growth with sales of £1,513 million for 2016/17 (£1,464 million 2015/16) representing growth of 3%. This performance reflects the investment in infrastructure, growing demand for own brand products, convenience for ... 

One third of small building firms report that soaring material prices are squeezing their margins and almost a quarter have found it necessary to pass these increases onto consumers, according to the latest research by the Federation of Master ... 

The home improvement retailer has launched a new loyalty programme exclusively for its trade customers – called Wickes TradePro – offering 10% off purchases in-store or online throughout the year, with no minimum spend.The scheme has been created to ... 

The Chinese-owned flooring retailer has set out a manifesto to become the biggest player in the UK flooring market by the end of 2018, with plans to grow its store portfolio from 21 to 80. "Massive investment, major impact and monster growth” are set ... 

Dulux parent, Akzo Nobel has reported a 3% uplift in sales within its Decorative Paints business for H1, despite the weak pound and poor consumer confidence in the UK, and adds that it is making “strong progress” on its strategy to grow and add ... 

John Lewis tops the overall rankings of the best brands for customer service, according to YouGov BrandIndex’s score. This is a measure of overall brand health which takes into account consumers’ perceptions of a brand’s quality, value, impression, ... 

Oak Furnitureland is officially opening its first Fife store in Kirkcaldy on Saturday, July 29.Featuring a mezzanine floor, the 18,119 sq ft showroom is located at the Fife Central Retail Park, creating 7 new hobs and forms part of the company’s on-... 

Bunnings has today opened its fifth Warehouse store – the first outside of the existing Homebase estate - taking over a former B&Q site in Folkestone, Kent. The new store at Park Farm Retail Park is Kent’s first Bunnings Warehouse and follows the ... 

Argos launched its new AW17 range to shoppers on Saturday July 22, offering around 2,500 new products and featuring popular brands including Nespresso, Bose, Lego, Habitat, Samsung, Dyson and Sony.“Whether it’s getting the kids ready for a new school ... 

The Kingfisher-owned DIY retailer and US paint brand Valspar have agreed to pay out to redecorate the homes of customers complaining of an unpleasant smell after using Valspar paint on their walls.DIYers who used the paint, have likened the smell to ... 

Compared with May 2017, the volume of retail sales increased by 0.6%, with non-food stores providing the main contribution, up 1.8%.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that warmer weather boosted clothing sales for retailers, however, ... 

In its half-yearly report Howden Joinery UK depot showed a revenue £539.5m (2016: £518.9m), an increase of 4.0% and 2.4% on a same depot basis. Group revenue was £553.0m (2016: £528.9m) and gross profit margin 64.1% (2016: 64.5%), stable on FY 2016 ... 

Footfall in June was up 0.8% on a year ago, easing it ahead of the three-month average of 0.5%. British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE said: “The arrival of summer spurred greater shopper footfall in the majority of retail ... 

New research from WRAP reveals that £1.5-£3 billion worth of electrical products are returned in the UK each year. Sales of electrical products are expected to increase by 19% up to 2020 with UK households already purchasing four products for every ... 

Following DIY Week’s story on Friday, the organisers of The National DIY Show, formerly Totally DIY & Tools have confirmed that the 2018 exhibition is being cancelled but that it could be back the following year.Organiser, Brintex, which is part ... 

A Gosforth-based hardware business will continue trading under the name Thorpes after being sold to a local family.Opened as a supplier of household ironmongery in 1947 by Edward Thorpe, Thorpes of Gosforth is currently owned and run by the third ... 

Tong Garden Centre has joined Welcome to Yorkshire’s Y30 partnership, a group of Yorkshire-based businesses working with the UK’s leading tourism agency to achieve more together for the county.“It’s been an incredibly busy two years,” said co-owner ... 

Sources have revealed that the Totally DIY and Totally Tools shows have been discontinued, with the events team made redundant. No one at Hemming Group, which owns the Totally Shows, could be reached for comment this afternoon but it is understood ... 

The department store chain reported an increase in home sales for the week to July 8, with outdoor living up 55% - a record for the month of July.Total sales for the week were £86.7m, up 2% compared to last year, supported by strong clearance sales. ... 

The Furniture Ombudsman saw a 49% rise in the number of disputes it handled in 2016, although believes this was due to more traders joining the scheme and taking greater responsibility for their customers.The ombudsman said it managed a total of 5,...