Essential reading for retailers and suppliers in the home improvement market

News Archive December 2017

Duff & Phelps secures sale of Feather & Black Limited 19 December 2017

Hilding Anders International, one of the leading bedding and mattress companies globally, buys the majority of the business securing 104 UK jobs.Allan Graham and Matt Ingram, both of Duff & Phelps Ltd, Joint Administrators of Feather & Black ...


Double digit growth for builders' merchants 19 December 2017

Builders’ Merchants saw major increases in sales of Tools (+12.3%), Plumbing Heating & Electrical (+11.4%) and Heavy Building Materials (+11.1%) in October 2017. These categories all saw double digit growth compared to October 2016 (assisted by ...


Garden Re-Leaf 2018 registration is now open 19 December 2017

Following a fantastic Garden Re-Leaf Day this year, Greenfingers Charity has announced that 2018’s event will take place on Friday, March 16.New events have been planned and the campaign promises to be even bigger next year, although organisers are ...


BREAKING NEWS: EU commission opens "in-depth investigation" into IKEA's taxes 18 December 2017

The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into the Netherlands' tax treatment of Inter IKEA, one of the two groups operating the IKEA business.The Commission has concerns that two Dutch tax rulings may have allowed Inter IKEA to ...


Trade park creates new jobs in Royston 15 December 2017

A new Trade Park on Royston industrial estate has created a number of new jobs for local residents, thanks to investment from builders’ merchant Jewson.The Royston Trade Park will now serve as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for building, plumbing, heating and ...


EXCLUSIVE: A smaller-format Bunnings and its smallest Warehouse yet set to open 15 December 2017

The Wesfarmers-owned group will open a new Bunnings store on the site of former Homebase branches in Bicester and its smallest Bunnings Warehouse yet in Walton on Thames ...


Entrepreneur and sewing bee judge backs creativity at GCA conference 15 December 2017

The entrepreneur made famous for his role as a judge on BBC’s ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’ is speaking at the Garden Centre Association’s 2018 conference.As well as appearing on TV, and despite having no fashion experience and being an engineer by ...


2018 DIY Week Awards judging panels announced 15 December 2017

We can officially revealed the two judging panels for the 2018 DIY Week Awards, which take place on Friday, May 11 at the Park Plaza Victoria in London.Judging the supplier categories will be: Judging the retail categories...


Bunnings Warehouse opens its first store in South Yorkshire 14 December 2017

Home improvement and garden retailer Bunnings Warehouse officially opened its doors in Rotherham today (14 December).The new store is located on Parkgate, is over 70,000 square feet offers customers more than 30,000 leading home improvement and ...


Rapid online growth for home improvement products, while DIY stores retain a strong position 13 December 2017

Research from the USP Marketing Consultancy has shown that the purchase channel most often used by European consumers is the DIY store, and the share of online shops has risen considerably. That is one of the results of the Q3 report from the ...


Bunnings opens 11th store in Basingstoke 13 December 2017

Home improvement and garden retailer Bunnings Warehouse officially opened its doors in Basingstoke today (13 December).The new store, which is on the site of the former Homebase on Winchester Road, is 84,500 square feet and offers customers more ...


Lucrative pet category to give retailers a boost this Christmas 12 December 2017

New figures suggest animal lovers will spend more on their pets than their nearest and dearest over the festive season.A survey found that owners will be spending an average of £19.98 on their pets compared to just £14.78 on their best friends.While ...


Black Friday failed to lift consumer spending in November 11 December 2017

Latest UK consumer spending index data from Visa, compiled by finance data company Markit, has indicated that consumer spending declined for the third month running in November. On an annual basis, total expenditure fell by -0.9%, which was less ...


Home Hardware Scotland holds first ever Christmas window display competition 11 December 2017

Home Hardware Scotland held its first ever Christmas window competition for its members shops and were "delighted with the response and the high level of entries". The entries were put to a vote to the office staff at Home Hardware and the winner ...


Retail park giant Hammerson to acquire rival Intu 8 December 2017

Hammerson plc, which operates 17 UK retail parks, as well as shopping centres and outlets across the UK and Europe has made an all-share offer to acquire Intu, with a view to create a £21billion pan-European portfolio.The boards of the two companies ...


Plans for new Lidl and B&M stores in Crewe 7 December 2017

Plans have been submitted to build a new Lidl supermarket, B&M home store and garden centre in Crewe.Clowes Developments (North West) has lodged a hybrid planning application with Cheshire East Council to transform an 8.9-acre site between Mill ...


UPDATE: Bunnings' conversions for 2018 7 December 2017

Home improvement and garden retailer Bunnings, opened its 10th UK Warehouse store, taking over the former Homebase outlet on Edinburgh Way in Harlow in November, and now news has come to light revealing the locations for new stores that will open ...


Box of Allsorts wins home hardware's christmas window dressing competition 7 December 2017

We are delighted to announce that Box of Allsorts (Shaftsbury) has won this year’s Christmas Window Dressing Competition. Danum Home Hardware (Doncaster) received the runner’s up prize.All Home Hardware retailers were invited to participate in the ...


Award-winning plant care app smashes crowdfunding target 6 December 2017

Smart Plant, the digital app that lets gardeners upload their plant collection and advice on how to care for them, has exceeded its crowdfunding target by 137%. Supported by Tribe First - the first dedicated crowdfunding support agency for start-up ...


Norwegian brand moves into UK heating market 6 December 2017

Following rapid growth in its international business, heating brand, Mill has launched in the UK.Liverpool-based Benross Marketing, a homewares and electrical appliances distributor, has obtained the exclusive UK distribution license for the UK and ...


Online steals the black friday show says BRC 5 December 2017

In November, UK retail sales increased by 0.6% on a like-for-like basis from November 2016, when they had increased 0.6% from the preceding year.On a total basis, sales rose 1.5% in November, against a growth of 1.3% in November 2016. This is in ...


Research shows in-store crowds are biggest stress factor for christmas shoppers 5 December 2017

With Christmas just around the corner, new research has revealed that there are simple ways that merchants can win over shoppers who are struggling with stress during the busy festive season. The new research by Swedish payments provider Klarna ...


Envirobuild aims to protect over 40K acres of rainforest through rainforest trust donations 5 December 2017

EnviroBuild, a sustainable construction company, aims to protect over 40k acres of rainforest this year through donating 10% of their profits to the Rainforest Trust and Ocean Cleanup. Ocean Cleanup is an organisation that collects plastic in the ...


Tool Shop Group expands with Camden opening 4 December 2017

London independent chain Tool Shop Group continues to grow its estate, officially opening its 11th store on the bustling Camden High Street.The new opening closely follows that of another new outlet in Highbury, which started trading in September ...


Kingfisher acquires Praktiker Romania 4 December 2017

Kingfisher plc has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Praktiker Romania S.A. following receipt of competition approval. Kingfisher entered into a binding acquisition agreement in August 2017 to strengthen our position in the country. ...


Torwood Garden Centre win multiple awards at falkirk herald business awards 4 December 2017

Last week, Torwood Garden Centre had a trio of successes, winning three awards at the Falkirk Herald business awards dinner.Having never entered the Falkirk Herald Business Awards before the garden centre decided to apply for the awards after a year ...


Akzo Nobel gets green light to separate out Speciality Chemicals division 4 December 2017

The Dutch coatings firm’s newly-appointed chief financial officer (CFO) and three supervisory board members have gained shareholder approval for the move, which forms part of its strategy to create two “focused, high-performing businesses,” with ...


Tile Mountain lands place on Sunday Times ‘Fast Track Ones to Watch 10’ list 1 December 2017

Online tile retailer Tile Mountain has been awarded a place in Fast Track Ones To Watch 10 list, which is due to be published this weekend (December 3) in The Sunday Times, alongside the 21st annual Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 League table.The list ...


Minky Homecare signs distribution deal with Pooling Partners 1 December 2017

Coventry-based Pooling Partners, which produces and pools sustainable wooden pallets, has landed a major deal with Minky Homecare to move thousands of its laundry and household products through the UK supply chain.Established in the UK in 1941, Vale ...


Hardware indie launches feel-good Christmas ad to rival the multiples 1 December 2017

Family-run, Hafod Hardware has garnered great attention for its festive advert and has high hopes of putting its Welsh town on the map, with national press even picking up on the story.Thomas Jones, who helps run the shop with his grandparents, ...


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