10% of retailers expect to enter administration this year
One in ten retailers believe they will enter administration over the coming 12 months, according to the latest statistics from an indust`ry trade body. According to figures published from R3’s Business Distress Index – which measures the views of over 500 businesses – a quarter of retailers are experiencing some kind of cash flow difficulty …
September 29, 2011
Lloyds starts sale of Garden Centre Group
Lloyds Banking Group has begun the process of selling the Garden Centre Group, with a deal expected to raise £300m. A spokesperson for the group confirmed to DIY Week that there are several interested parties, and a number of private equity groups are thought to be in the running. Reports over the weekend have suggested …
September 28, 2011
Mako opens new Burnley unit
Paintbrush and roller maker Mako UK has moved to new premises in Burnley, with a spacious showroom, improved order processing and advanced IT support. Mako has also invested in packaging upgrades and the re-launch of the Marshall brands, including the Supapile and Goldfleck rollers and the 101 and 400x brush ranges. The new Burnley unit …
September 28, 2011
Jump to it!
Something like 18 volunteers will be taking to the stars on Sunday 25th September – literally! For it’s the inaugural Rainy Day Trust tandem parachute jump. Yes really! The purpose of the jump is to raise funds for the industry charity and each member of the team has undertaken to raise £1000. So it’s time …
September 13, 2011
DIY, garden and hardware sector drives up non-food shop price inflation
Non-food shop price inflation increased to 1.4% in August from 1.3% in July, the first increase since May, driven by accelerating inflation in the DIY, gardening and hardware category. Annual inflation in that sector accelerated to 4% last month from 3.6% in July, according to the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index. This was attributed to the …
September 9, 2011
Homebase continues to outperform Argos
Like-for-like sales held flat at Homebase for the first half of 2011, but slumped 9.1% at sister chain Argos. According to a second quarter trading statement from parent company Home Retail Group (HRG), like-for-like sales at Argos declined by 8.6% to £859m for the 13 weeks to August 27, equating to a 9.1% decline to …
September 9, 2011
Home and garden market won't recover until 2013, says Mintel
UK consumers spent £38.7bn on the home and garden in 2010, according to new data from the Mintel British Lifestyles 2011 report. While the recession hit the home and garden market hard, last year saw a gradual recovery, with value sales up 3.3% (against a 2.5% decline in 2009) and all segments experiencing growth except …
September 8, 2011
B&Q boosts board with two new appointments
B&Q UK & Ireland ceo Martyn Phillips has announced two appointments to the B&Q board. Damian McGloughlin leaves his current role as director of store operations to become operations director, concentrating on driving core sales, customer experience and employee engagement. Mr McGloughlin has been with B&Q for 23 years, after beginning his career on the …
September 8, 2011
URGENT – It could be your business next!
One of our BHETA members has just been duped out of £7k worth of stock. A bogus collection of goods was arranged from the supplier to well a known and recognised customer. The scammers are clever and are convincing customer service teams that they are genuine. Please review very carefully any orders that are due …
September 8, 2011
