Essential reading for retailers and suppliers in the home improvement market

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BREAKING NEWS: Glee to move halls

Major changes are taking place ahead of the 2014 Glee exhibition, including a migration to halls 17 - 20 at the NEC. 
11 July 2013

Summer brings welcome spending flurry to the high street

Retail sales values were up 1.4% like-for-like in June this year compared with the same month last year, a total year-on-year increase of 2.9%. 
10 July 2013

Kingfisher wins £145m French tax case

B&Q owner Kingfisher has finally triumphed in a French court over a decade-old tax quarrel worth £145m to the company. 
10 July 2013

Better Bathrooms' expansion plans get £10m backing

The northern-based Better Bathrooms chain is planning UK-wide expansion after securing a £10m injection of capital from Business Growth Fund. 
10 July 2013

Bents asks whether loving thoughts can make a plant grow

Bents Home & Garden has launched an initiative called The Great Plant Experiment to find out whether plants respond to voices and emotions. 
9 July 2013

Retailers get into the spirit of 2nd Independents' Day

Thousands of small retailers from more than 120 towns and cities up and down the UK got into the spirit of Independents' Day on July 4. 
8 July 2013

Diss hardware shop changes hands

The owners of a Norfolk hardware shop have successfully sold it on as a going concern. 
8 July 2013

Owner calls time on London garden centre

The owner of Highgate Garden Centre in north London has announced that the business will close its doors for the last time this month. 
8 July 2013

Online shoppers shun homewares in favour of feel-good

Online sales in the home and garden categories took a big hit this spring, with the bad weather seeing consumers focus instead on products delivering a personal feel-good factor. 
8 July 2013

Consumers up spending on garden buildings

Garden storage products have proved to be star performers this year within the overall garden structures category - which is itself delivering respectable sales. 
8 July 2013

GIMA award entries up on last year

The Garden Industry Manufacturers Association revealed it has seen a 9% uplift in entries to its annual awards this year, with particular increases in plant categories and pet and aquatics. 
5 July 2013

DIY and gardening 'key to retail growth' in May

DIY and gardening retail saw growth of 12% in May 2013 versus May 2012, according to the latest research by GfK, making the sector the 'key to growth' for retail durables. 
4 July 2013

Home Hardware's Spring promotions hit sales records

Sales increased by an impressive 19% at Home Hardware, after retailers collectively distributed over one million Spring DIY and housewares brochures and leaflets. 
3 July 2013

Sales continue to slide at Topps Tiles

Revenues dropped 1.5% like-for-like during the 13 weeks to June 29, 2013 at Topps Tiles, following on from a 0.2% fall in the company's first half
2 July 2013

Garden centre bolsters weather-proof business with function room

The increasing unpredictability of the weather has persuaded a Cumbrian garden centre to add a completely different dimension to its business - a function room. 
2 July 2013

Dyas owner Theo Paphitis backs Independents' Day

As the countdown continues to the main event this Thursday, former Dragons' Den star and current Robert Dyas owner Theo Paphitis has voiced his support of the 2013 Independents' Day campaign. 
2 July 2013

Rainy Day Trust signs up BMF

The Builders Merchant Federation (BMF) is the latest company to sign up to the Rainy Day Trust's partnership scheme and has added a donation of £4,000 following its recent conference in Portugal. 
2 July 2013

Owners call time on Chippenham ironmonger's

A Wiltshire ironmonger's has closed its doors for the last time, a victim of rising overheads, the loss of local parking facilities and falling sales. 
1 July 2013

Former Grosvenor md loses unfair dismissal case

Former managing director of Grosvenor Garden Centre Iain Wylie has lost a case against Blue Diamond in which he claimed the group had failed to follow a fair process of dismissal. 
1 July 2013

B&Q shakes with Morrisons again over store share

B&Q has struck another deal with Morrisons that will see the DIY retailer shed more selling space. 
1 July 2013
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