DIYWEEK.net

London independent chain Tool Shop Group continues to grow its estate, officially opening its 11^th store on the bustling Camden High Street.

The new opening closely follows that of another new outlet in Highbury, which started trading in September and is part of owner Vin Vara’s plans to grow the business to 15 stores by Easter.

Marking the addition of the sought-after Camden location to Tool Shop’s portfolio, administration manager Sarah Edmiston and the store’s new manager Angie Trainer cut the ribbon and officially threw the doors open to the public.

Customers were offered deals on Christmas lights, LED lamps and Dulux paint as part of the celebrations, and the shop had a “fantastic first weekend”, Mr Vara told DIY Week.

He added: “We’ve had really good feedback and trading over the first weekend exceeded our expectations.”

The reaction from customers has been so positive, Tool Shop has taken the decision to extend opening hours from now and over the festive period, so the Camden shop stays open until 7.30pm rather than the planned 5.30pm.

The new outlet employs three full-time staff and two part-time. Shop manager Angie Trainer is Tool Shop’s first female manager and has been with the business for more than 10 years. Her most recent position was as assistant manager at the Baker Street store.

Mr Vara said he was indebted to his team, “who worked extremely hard” to have the shop ready on time. “We only took possession of the keys on November 3 and couldn’t do anything straight away because of waiting for some planning permissions but we turned it around in three weeks. We spent a lot of money on things like new flooring, LED lighting, a new suspended ceiling and brand new LED signage. It was worth it because it looks great and we are really happy.”

For more on the latest stores to join the Tool Shop Group and the company’s exciting plans, read the December 15 issue of DIY Week.