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Ethel Austin owner to launch new homewares chain

Elaine McPherson, whose fashion retail business Ethel Austin went into administration in February, has secured an injection of funds to launch a fashion and homewares chain called Life & Style. 
20 May 2010

National Hardware Show sees 20% uplift in attendance

Trade show reports high footfall and significant number of orders booked over three days at Las Vegas Convention Centre. 
20 May 2010

Sainsbury's launches first TV ad for non-food

The supermarket chain launched its first TV ad campaign to support its non-food website on Tuesday. 
20 May 2010

22% return rate could cost online retailers £10.5bn

New research reveals, while the e-commerce market appears to be thriving, online retailers face significant annual losses as a result of increasing product returns. 
20 May 2010

Neighbourhood Crop Swap launched to get the nation growing

PlantforLife's new campaign will see households grow their own fruit and veg and swap with neighbours to help communities make the most of their space. 
19 May 2010

Experts predict sizzling summer

Weather experts have predicted summer 2010 to be one of the five hottest on record, with garden and DIY retailers gearing up to make the most of seasonal sales. 
19 May 2010

Screwfix switches to 'British Football Time' for World Cup

Kingfisher-owned trade DIY chain Screwfix is switching its trading hours to 'British Football Time' on days when England are playing during the World Cup. 
19 May 2010

Sales down at Asda but non-food expansion still underway

Supermarket chain reports 0.3% like-for-like sales drop for the first quarter, and expects conditions to remain tough, but continues plans to "broaden its appeal". 
19 May 2010

Product of the Year award winners and photos now online

View the Gold and Silver winners and the snaps from the industry's hottest event – The Product of the Year Awards 2010. 
19 May 2010

Best Buy to open second store on Bank Holiday weekend

Best Buy has revealed they will open their second UK store on May 28 at Hedge End retail park in Southampton. 
18 May 2010

John Lewis doubles number of 'at home' stores

Department store chain secures two further sites in Swindon and Tunbridge Wells, ready to open this autumn. 
18 May 2010

DIY and garden markets see growth in Q1

Sealants and lawn seeds star products since January, as sectors show positive signs for the year ahead. 
18 May 2010

Chelsea sells out in record time

Tickets to the RHS flower show sold out on Friday - the earliest in more than 20 years. 
17 May 2010

Product of the Year 2010: Gold winners announced

The great and the good of the DIY industry gathered together last Friday at London's Sheraton Park Lane Hotel for the Product of the Year Awards 2010. 
17 May 2010

High street homewares sales up 10%

High street sales saw positive growth across the board for the week ending May 9, according to the BDO High Street Sales Tracker. 
17 May 2010

UK business insolvencies drop a further 15% in April

Small businesses showed "great resilience" last month, says Experian, while mid-sized companies fared the worst. 
17 May 2010

Wickes like-for-like sales slip in tough consumer conditions

Wickes owner Travis Perkins has reported a 1.7% like-for-like sales decline in its retail arm for the 17 weeks to May 1. 
17 May 2010

Footfall increases in April by 1.6%

UK footfall increased 1.6% year-on-year in April 2010 in comparison to the same month last year, according to The Experian Retail Footfall Index. 
13 May 2010

Non-food growing at three times the rate of food at Sainsbury's

Expanding non-food offer continues to perform well as supermarket chain posts pre-tax profit increase of 57.3% for the year to March 2010. 
13 May 2010

National Insurance rise partly scrapped by new government

The planned increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs), scheduled to take affect in 2011, will be partly scrapped by the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government. 
13 May 2010
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