Nine out of 10 householders have a go at DIY in their homes - but end up shelling out over £150 a year getting botched jobs fixed by professionals. 

Dobbies has withdrawn its plan to charge charities for using space on its shop floors to collect donations after it was questioned over it. 

Sales in UK construction and manufacturing were up 7% year-on-year in Q4 of 2013 and the decorative and industrial coatings sectors also performed well. 

Van Hage Garden Centre has made an announcement following speculation that the business might be closing down and the company said these claims are untrue. 

Last year saw the number of retail and leisure premises vacancies drop from 12.6% to 12.2%, but there remains a widening gap in the fortunes of towns in the north and the south. 

A Lincolnshire hardware independent has closed its doors for the last time, with the long-time owners now heading for retirement. 

Britain's retail businesses are gearing up for a positive 2014, as reflected by at least four months of strong optimism about the economy, according to recent findings. 

The organisers of Garden Re-Leaf Day have revealed a simple way to enable garden product and plant suppliers to get involved before the big day. 

Homebase has been taken to task by the ad watchdog for misleading consumers over how much they could save on bills by buying LED lighting. 

The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) says a new demand by Homebase and Argos for an extra 2% turnover rebate from suppliers is "contrary to our efforts with major retailers, which is to work together". 

The Garden Centre Association's (GCA) new chairman has pledged to rejuvenate the organisation's regional groups. 

There have been reports of a possible new B&M store opening in Bodmin in Cornwall that could create 75 jobs in the local area. 

John Lewis has been unveiled as the Official Department Store Provider of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. 

Dulux has named celebrity Alesha Dixon as the face of its annual Colour of the Year campaign. 

Family-run DIY business, D&G Short, in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, is under threat following plans for an expansion of the local Tesco store. 

Turtle Wax has announced two new strategic distribution partnerships for its consumer retail products as part of a bold move in the UK car care market. 

Workshops tackling key areas for garden retailers who run cafes and restaurants will be at the centre of the HTA Catering Conference in February. 

Steve Bood, who was a senior sales manager at Keter, died suddenly last Saturday, January 25, at the age of 54. 

There are now only just over two weeks until the prestigious DIY Week Awards in Coventry, but there is still time to book your place. 

The winners of the Garden Centre Association's (GCA) annual conference awards have been announced at the four-day Blackpool event, which ends today.