The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) says this month's Meet the Buyer initiative, the second Screwfix Innovation Day, was another winner for all parties.
With the whole Screwfix buying team present, offering guaranteed online listing trials for products that attracted attention on the day, BHETA was able to organise 145 20-minute appointments with a total of 72 suppliers and potential suppliers.

The next stage for the 120 products that excited sufficient interest from Screwfix is to go on trial sale in a dedicated innovation section on Screwfix.com, with a view to being featured in the Screwfix catalogue.

Amongst the successful new products, which spanned a range of different product categories, were some safety gloves designed by a former electrician: their two-finger-and-thumb retracting Velcro fastening folds back to allow easy handling of screwdrivers, fiddly wires or a smartphone. Lightweight ear protection systems, flexible engineering moulds and self-cleaning stainless steel drop bar sockets for gates also attracted attention.

Commenting on the day, Peter Stone, the DIY sector director for BHETA, said: "In the current economic climate both buyers and sellers are under immense pressure, and the demands on buyers' time make meetings with new potential suppliers very difficult. In one day and in one place the Screwfix buying team had 145 appointments with suppliers - something which would, under normal circumstances, take months to achieve, if achievable at all."