Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers Limited (Wesfarmers), which owns the Bunnings chain, confirms it has made a conditional offer to acquire Homebase from Home Retail Group plc for £340m (around AUS $699m). 

With the industry awards event just over a month away, don't miss out on your chance to celebrate the successes of top retailers and innovative suppliers, as well as networking with peers from across the DIY, home and market. 

Builders' and plumbers' merchants saw a strong recovery in 2013 and 2014, reversing the trend for householders to turn away from larger projects and towards DIY. 

Prominent Lincoln cookshop Biggers of Bailgate is to shut up shop for good - only one year after celebrating its 70th anniversary. 

A court has ordered a former garden centre director who robbed her business to repay it £125,000. 

Undeterred by its rejection at the end of last year, Sainsbury's is reportedly now poised to make a formal offer for Argos, Homebase and Habitat parent Home Retail Group (HRG). 

The Garden Industry Manufacturers Association (GIMA) has expanded its member benefits with the introduction of the new HR and employment mentoring services. 

Consumer spending increased solidly in December, with e-commerce the clear winner over Christmas. 

John Lewis Partnership (JLP) said today that it had enjoyed a strong Christmas, underpinned by significant investment in its distribution and IT capability. 

Consumer organisation Which? has described some top-name composts as "shocking" after asking a specialist lab to analyse the composition of some of the worst-performing products in its latest seed sowing and young plants trials. 

The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) is to repeat its support for the Innovation Zone at the Totally DIY Exhibition next month. 

Globus' Showa gardening gloves have achieved two of the three Which? Gardening Best Buys awarded to lightweight garden gloves. 

Tildenet Ltd, a long-established supplier of products to the gardening industry, professional markets and industrial users, has announced the acquisition of Bosmere Products Ltd. 

Topps Tiles said today that it had made "an encouraging start to the financial year", with like-for-like revenues up 4.4% in the 13 weeks to January 2 2016. 

Builder's merchanting and DIY operation Grafton Group has acquired timber merchant T Brewer & Co. 

A new report on the UK lighting market forecasts healthy growth in 2016 as LED lighting continues to invigorate sales. 

Sales in the two weeks before Christmas centred not so much around gifts as on items for the home including drills, curtain poles and door bells, according to Homebase. 

Supermarket giant Sainsbury's said today that it approached Home Retail Group (HRG) in November regarding a possible offer for the Argos and Homebase parent in the form of Sainsbury's shares and cash. 

Gardeners made use of the milder weather in November and made enhancements to their outdoor spaces, according to the latest results from the Garden Centre Association's (GCA) Barometer of Trade. 

Staff and customers of a Surrey hardware shop had a lucky escape over the holidays when a car veered off the road and ploughed through the front window.