Wickes has made plans to halve the size of its Kettering store to incorporate a B&M Homestore.
It's reported that the Travis Perkins-owned DIY company has submitted plans to Kettering Council to reduce the size of its store to allow bargain retailer B&M to trade in the remaining floorspace.

Wickes said it wants to halve the 4,500sq ft store and, according to a local newspaper, it has proposed a change of use for the unit. It currently only allows the sale of bulky goods but the rules would have to change for B&M, which sells a range of household, garden and outdoor products and food and drink.

These plans echo similar moves made by DIY giant B&Q, which has been splitting some of its larger stores to share space with leading supermarkets, including Asda and Morrisons. The retailer described the rent on its outlet in Bamber Bridge, in Lancashire, as "unsustainable" and it has been downsizing some stores over the past two years.

Meanwhile, Wickes is also looking to move to a new multi-million-pound retail park in Grimsby.

The 30,000sq ft unit is one of the first to be filled at the new Gateway Park, according to a local newspaper, and the retailer plans to vacate its current store in Alexandra Retail Park in the town. A public awareness campaign is underway with a formal application expected to be made to the local council within the next few weeks.

It's reported that the Wickes store will occupy one quarter of the overall seven-acre site, owned by Standard Commercial Property Developments Ltd, alongside another retailer that has not been named yet.

Carl Bradley, the director of the surveyor company acting for the site owner, told the Grimsby Telegraph: "A lot of hard work and effort has gone in and we hope that the climate is such that everything happens as it is supposed to happen. We have had positive discussions with North East Lincolnshire Council and we are in negotiations with another occupier that would sit next to Wickes."

Wickes opened its current store in Alexandra Retail Park 10 years ago after Focus DIY, that is part of the same group, closed down. The relocation, however, is unlikely to create many new jobs.