The largest product category was revealed to be garden, domestic landscaping and leisure, accounting for over 20% of total sales. Other major product groups include building supplies, lighting & electrical, tools, hardware & PPE and decorating products. The market has been underpinned for the last few years, says the report, by growth in the general economy as well as rising incomes and online shopping growth as well as a stronger housing market.

Growth has been constrained, however, by a shift away from householders doing their own DIY, with many looking to tradesmen. This has been noticeable among the under 35s in particular, where "a general lack of skills/aptitude and a preference for spending money and time on other things has developed over the last few years."

Says the report, "affluent and older homeowners have been generally more like to use tradesmen to work on extensions, loft and basement conversions and garden landscaping."

AMA Research director Keith Taylor said: "In response to increasing competition in the core product markets  in recent years from general merchandise multiples, specialist online home improvement products retailers, grocery multiples, discount chains and catalogue stores, the traditional home improvement multiples have been implementing major changes including undertaking store rationalisation programmes and introducing new formats.

"Other strategies have included expanding product lines into non-DIY offerings such as homewares, electronic security equipment, lighting and kitchens and bathrooms."

Demographic changes, digital technology and developments in consumer behaviour are the major factors which the report outlines as having influenced the home improvement retail market in recent years. It also predicted a "marked impact" on DIY retailers following the Brexit vote, with householders expected to cut back on major project spending.

With many home improvement products imported from overseas, AMA predicts the weak pound's likelihood to drive up prices of commodities from overseas with a resulting impact on supplier and retailer margins. Because of this, the forecast for 2016 is expected to fall.