Essential reading for retailers and suppliers in the home improvement market

News Archive November 2018

ManoMano joins EDRA 29 November 2018

ManoMano, the online-platform for DIY, becomes a member of EDRA/GHIN. The Board of the European DIY Retail Association (EDRA) is pleased to announce that ManoMano, the online platform for DIY products, will join the association with effect from 1 ...


John Lewis reports strong sales in store over Black Friday week 28 November 2018

Despite many shoppers opting to buy online during Black Friday, a number of the John Lewis shops enjoyed a record week last week, with the retailer reporting strong trading across both its physical stores and website.The department store business ...


Topps Tiles profits fall and plans for Brexit disruption 27 November 2018

Tile specialist Topps Tiles plc, has announced its annual financial results for the 52 weeks ended 29 September 2018. The net debt has been reported as reduced by £11.3 million year-on-year to £16.2 million with a £35.0 million loan facility now in ...


Westland launches new Peckish marketing campaign 27 November 2018

Westland’s wild bird food brand Peckish has signed up to sponsor the Channel 4 weather bulletins from January 1 until the end of February and will champion feeding wild birds to more than 12.5million consumers.Off the back of strong brand growth ...


Black Friday footfall drops compared to last year 26 November 2018

Footfall on Black Friday dropped 5.4% compared to 2017, but online sales had skyrocketed 46% year on year by 4pm, Springboard reports.There was similiarly lower footfall over the weekend as shoppers avoided the crush. Saturday’s figures were down 5....


Homebase completes refinancing with £95m 23 November 2018

Home retail giant Homebase has confirmed it has secured an asset-based lending facility of up to £95m with Wells Fargo Capital Finance, part of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC). “We are really pleased to have secured lending facilities from ...


John Lewis sees home sales dip, as shoppers wait for end-of-week discounts 23 November 2018

Home sales were down by 14.7% at John Lewis & Partners over the past week, as competitor discounts tailed off in anticipation of price drops during today’s Black Friday event....


Outdoor plant sales are the highlight in October 23 November 2018

Sales in outdoor plant areas at garden centres across the country performed better than other categories in October according to the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade (BoT) report.Compared to last year (2017) sales of outdoor ...


More retailers jump on Black Friday bandwagon 23 November 2018

New data finds that 72% more UK retailers are taking part in Black Friday this year, compared to 2017, with even bigger price cuts and more stores than ever before getting involved in the day of deals ...


Wyevale agrees sale of five more centres 22 November 2018

Wyevale Garden Centres (WGC) has, today, announced deals that will see four centres bought by discount goods and garden retailer In-Excess Ltd, and another purchased by architectural salvage and antiques business English Salvage Ltd...


B&Q UK sales slide, as Kingfisher exits Russian and Iberian markets 21 November 2018

Kingfisher’s Q3 results reveal a 2.9% LFL decline in sales in the UK & Ireland, as the axing of Homefit took its toll. The global company also announced plans to pull out of Spain, Portugal and Russia, in a bid to focus on more profitable ...


Ikea speeds up transformation plan 21 November 2018

Ikea has announced it is accelerating its transformation, stepping up investments in new and existing Ikea stores and fulfilment centres, developing city centre formats and focusing on its e-commerce platform, to better meet the needs of its ...


Kingfisher confirms sale and leaseback of B&Q stores 20 November 2018

Following speculation that money raised from the sale of six B&Q stores would be used to fund Kingfisher’s transformation plan, the global home improvement giant has said this is not the case.A report in the Sunday Times suggested that CEO ...


Garland warns of stock availability issues after spike in demand 20 November 2018

Garland Products/Worth Gardening is urging retailers to secure stocks from suppliers, as demand for garden products soar – with Garland's sales up 90% in the past month.The garden care products manufacturer has reported a significant surge...


Appliancesdirect.co.uk predicts Black Friday rush 20 November 2018

Home appliance e-tailer is predicting its biggest day for online sales on Friday and has already seen a 70% jump in traffic to the Black Friday area of website, as customers seek deals on branded appliances and household gadgets. AppliancesDirect.co....


Footfall declines expected on Black Friday but online may not strike it big either 19 November 2018

Black Friday footfall is forecast to drop by 3.7% across the UK, as consumers head online to shop deals rather than heading out to the high street – although internet sales growth will still not match last year, thanks to poor timing, price ...


Capitol Tiles outlets snapped up by BC Ceramics 19 November 2018

Following news that Tile Mountain chairman Mo Iqbal acquired Capitol Tiles’ distribution operations after it went into administration, it has been revealed that retailer BC Ceramics has bought six of Capitol’s 11 remaining retail outlets in a ...


Akzo delivers on promise to shareholders 19 November 2018

Akzo Nobel announces it is to conduct €2 billion capital repayment and share consolidation, returning vast majority of net proceeds from sale of Specialty Chemicals, stating it is now “a focused paints and coatings company”...


Visa encourages shoppers back to the high street with Christmas campaign 16 November 2018

Visa debuted its first-ever Christmas advert last week, with the campaign featuring real independent businesses and urging consumers to shop their local high street.The commercial first aired on ITV on Friday, November 9 at 7.45pm and has had ...


Tong Garden Centre wins Elite Business of the Year 15 November 2018

Tong Garden Centre was announced as the Elite Business of the Year at the recent Aagrah Restaurant Group's 36th Annual Dinner and Elite Yorkshire Business Awards that raised £125,000 for charity.Tong's managing director, Mark Farnsworth and ...


DIY prices on the up 15 November 2018

After weeks of unseasonable discounting and, following news that the CPI inflation rate remained unchanged in October, prices of DIY products have shot up 36% since last week, whilst discounts have also become watered down...


Capital Gardens unveils first changes at Studley Green 14 November 2018

Since being taken over by Capital Gardens just eight weeks ago, Studley Green Garden Centre has undergone a significant makeover, with a strong focus on introducing a new extended product offering and improving customer service.In keeping with Capital ...


House of Fraser to close more stores over rent wrangle 14 November 2018

The department store chain is set to close all four of its outlets at Intu shopping centres after failing to agree “reasonable terms” with landlords.House of Fraser, which was bought by Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley in August, revealed the ...


CPI inflation remains unchanged at 2.4% 14 November 2018

The latest figures from the ONS reveal consumer price index inflation was flat on September but experts suggest this apparent stability masks an easing in inflationary pressure at the national and regional level...


Sales up at Woodie’s DIY 13 November 2018

Grafton Group’s latest trading update recorded a 4.6% uplift for the Irish DIY chain over the past four months, as parent firm remains on track to deliver full-year expectations. Woodie’s, the largest DIY retailer in Ireland, had a strong first half...


Tile Mountain chairman buys wholesale tile business 13 November 2018

Mo Iqbal has confirmed his purchase of the wholesale and distribution side of Coventry-based business, Capitol Tile Group; which went into liquidation last week.Capitol was formerly one of the UK’s largest tile distributors. However, after many years of ...


Nearly half of UK consumers plan to buy from Amazon this Black Friday 12 November 2018

With predictions that nearly £5billion will be spent this Black Friday (November 23), new research has highlighted the popularity of e-tailer Amazon’s shopping extravaganza, as 48% of Brits say they plan to buy from the online retail giant during ...


Shoppers stay home in October but watch and wait for deals 12 November 2018

Continued declines in footfall reflect ongoing struggles for retailers but also suggest consumers are holding out for discounts before visiting shops, as Black Friday and other sales loom.Footfall in October fell by 2% on the previous year; an ...


Westland updates following Gardman acquisition 12 November 2018

Keen to put “inaccurate gossip” to bed, the company has made an announcement about the state of play with Gardman since it bought the business out of administration last month.Despite what it describes as a “complex and challenging process”, ...


Wilko continues revamp of portfolio with new-look Morley store 9 November 2018

Wilko re-opened the store in Morley, Leeds after it had undergone a makeover, as part of the retailer’s strategy to update its branches across the UK and promises shoppers will “encounter an entirely new Wilko”. The structure of the Morley store “has ...


Dulux Academy wins On the Tools Training Excellence Award 9 November 2018

It has announced that Dulux Academy is the winner of the 2018 On the Tools Training Excellence Award. The awards, which celebrate and reward construction workers, sub- contractors, tools and equipment manufacturers and construction companies from ...


Habitat opens new flagship store in Brighton city centre 9 November 2018

Home retailer, Habitat has unveiled its new 6,500sq ft stand-alone flagship store today in Brighton, as part of the 1.3 acre Hannington Estate redevelopment. The new opening, Habitat’s third-largest store in the UK, marks the retailer’s first ...


Wilko pledges up to £1m investment for new ‘Together for the Communities’ programme 8 November 2018

National home and garden retailer Wilko has announced new partnerships with Keep Britain Tidy, The Prince’s Trust and Keep Wales Tidy as part of its new Together for Communities programme.The programme will see Wilko and the three charities come ...


Homewares retailers set to benefit from ‘golden quarter’ 8 November 2018

As homeowners seek to refresh their homes in time for Christmas, retailers operating in the home category are expected to see growth of 0.6% in sales during the last quarter.Global Data forecasts that total UK retail sales in Q4 will rise by 2% to £...


Asda reveals it won't participate in Black Friday sales 8 November 2018

It has been confirmed that supermarket chain Asda will shun this year's Black Friday event, which takes place later this month, in a bid to spread its deals across the festive period.Instead of taking part in the one-day event, Asda has confirmed it ...


Winter prep gives John Lewis home sales a boost 6 November 2018

Department store reported increases across home categories last week, as consumers prepare for the colder months, whilst price matching on brands helped generate an uplift in cookshop. Overall home sales were up 0.8% for the week ended November 3 ...


The biggest influencers on consumers buying from DIY stores 6 November 2018

New report reveals the buying behaviour of consumers purchasing home improvement products has changed drastically over the last decade and suggests retailers should be targeting consumers in the 34-55 year age bracket, who have a low-to-medium ...


Property supply cools in October 6 November 2018

The number of new property listings in October fell by 5.5% across the UK, and by 6.8% in London, with suggestions that recent declines in house prices may have dissuaded homeowners from putting their homes on the market ...


EU shoppers seek home & garden discounts from UK brands online 5 November 2018

Overseas mobile searches for UK brands grew by 18% YOY in Q3 2018, with the top four general retail searches all looking for discounts in the UK. New data from the British Retail Consortium found that, as well as an increase in Q3 compared with ...


Rosebourne completes purchase of Wyevale centre 5 November 2018

The Rosebourne team has announced the purchase of Wyevale at Hampton-in-Arden, near Solihull, with plans to run the site as a standalone centre before looking at potential of incorporating it into the Rosebourne family.The sale, which completed on ...


Johnsons Lawn Seed reports record autumn uplift 5 November 2018

Favourable temperatures across the UK in the last quarter of the year has seen the lawn care company post record-breaking sales across its range, with demand from gardens centres tripling thanks to one of the hottest and driest summers on record...


Asda unveils its Christmas campaign 5 November 2018

Asda has yet again become the first supermarket to kick off its Christmas campaign with the launch of its ‘Bring Christmas Home’ TV ad – which hit screens last Friday.The adrenalin-fuelled ad sees Santa launch a flaming Christmas pudding into the ...


M&S launches eco-shopping bag 5 November 2018

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has launched a new eco-shopping bag that helps prevent waste and reduce poverty among people living in Haiti and the Philippines.Launching in stores on 6th November, the re-usable bag is made from 75% Social Plastic, ...


Staff at Tong Garden Centre invited to White Rose Awards 5 November 2018

The efforts by seven staff members to deliver exceptional service and commitment at Tong Garden Centre are being rewarded with an invitation to a prestigious awards ceremony.Steve Smith (Plants Buyer); Jackie Price (Catering Supervisor front of ...


Trading after Brexit will not halt says What More UK 5 November 2018

With international sales higher than ever before, What More UK has said it has prepared for Brexit with a long term business plan. Director of What More UK, Tony Grimshaw said: "We inadvertently began making provision for Brexit, five years before ...


Smart strengthens head office support in anticipation of bumper year 2 November 2018

Garden products supplier, Smart has announced the appointment of three new team members to strengthen its head office sales functions. Karen Gorski and Piotr Bury join the UK sales team, and Ana Beunza joins the export sales team, focusing on the ...


B&Q ditches Black Friday in line with EDLP policy 2 November 2018

The Kingfisher-owned DIY chain announced today that it won’t be slashing prices on November 23 along with other retailers hoping to cash in on Black Friday and will, instead, stick with its everyday low prices model. The retailer has followed a ...


Carpetright’s Q2 performance dented by ongoing restructure 2 November 2018

The flooring retailer described 2018 as a “transitional year” and said it expected trading to be heavily impacted by disruption, as the group downsizes portfolio and closes 65 UK stores. The trading update revealed that like-for-like performance...


A positive year helps Ikea grow market share in UK 2 November 2018

Ikea enjoyed a 5.9% sales uplift for the year, boosted by investment in digital offer, new ranges and its physical stores. The retailer outperformed the market in home furnishings and increased market share to 8.4%, as it continues the roll out of smaller stores in "unexpected locations...


Loving Pets expands to Australia 2 November 2018

Loving Pets, named in an international ‘fastest growing’ company list, has seen its foray in Australia take off.Since its launch in June, Loving Pets Australia has already picked up many new customers across the continent and received positive ...


Downturn in department store sector and increasing price competition set to impact upper end of household textiles market 2 November 2018

Having experienced overall growth of 13% between 2013 and 2017, the UK household textiles market has been underpinned by returning consumer confidence and sustained demand from contract applications, according to the latest report from AMA Research....


New campaign urges consumer to buy British Christmas trees 1 November 2018

Grown in Britain is launching an initiative to encourage UK consumers to buy more assured British grown Christmas trees, as it is revealed that retailers are often conned into buying imported specimens, which they believe to be homegrown.Grown in ...


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