The dealer-owned wholesaler celebrated its 30th anniversary with its first ever members' conference at Airth Castle Hotel over the weekend of February 23-24.
Opening the conference, MD Jim Ferguson reminded members of the Home Hardware motto: All for one and one for all. "It's always been my dream that we work together as a large family," he said. "I have a passion for the hardware trade, and I'm always very sad when I hear of an old-established business closing down."

And he exhorted members to constantly plough profits back into their businesses: "A penny saved is a penny taxed - so re-invest in the business!"

Guest speaker Alan Hawkins, MD of BIRA, gave the audience an overview of he business economy of the high street. "You need a vibrant high street to bring customers to your shops," he said, and quoted Local Data Company statistics: there are 464,000 shops on UK high streets, 31% of them multiples and 69% independents. But the multiples account for 70% of high street sales, and independents for only 30%. And nationally, the shop vacancy rate is around 14-15%.

Regarding the state of the economy, he commented: "This is the new norm. Don't wait for things to get better - get your cost base right to make money on the takings you've got at the moment."

And on the internet: "I'm not saying you have to have internet sales, but if you don't, then you have to have a policy for not doing it."

He quoted BIRA's three Ps: property taxes, planning and parking. "Property taxes are one of the big issues - business rates have gone up by 9% in two years, at a time when inflation's supposed to be low. We're campaigning for no upward only leases, and for rents paid monthly in advance rather than quarterly. And you pay your rates - you ought to have free parking for your customers."

On planning: "All the new out-of-town centres that have claimed to create new jobs - they have just been displacing jobs. Why this constant push to add more retail space? We've got enough - let's use it."

Jackie Coyne of Towergate enlightened the conference about new pension rules. "Between now and 2015, almost every employee in the UK will have to be auto-enrolled in a workplace pension scheme," she said. "There are new and extensive rules for employers - they have to register with the pensions regulator, for example."

And she spelled out the scale of the project: "80% of people working in the public sector are in pension schemes - in the private sector it's only 32%."

The final conference session saw two teams of Home Hardware members putting forward development ideas for the group: harmonised epos systems for all members, installation of Costa Express coffee machines in stores, more training days, annual inspections of members' shops, and "show and share" sessions for members to share ideas on display, merchandising and promotions.

Closing the weekend with a gala dinner, Home Hardware members and suppliers dug deep and raised a total of £1,100 for the Rainy Day Trust, the industry charity.