NEWS


Suppliers could be squeezed by Asda Sainsbury’s merger


AkzoNobel boosts Dulux Decorator Centre network in the UK to 203 stores


Akzo Nobel has acquired two businesses in the UK to enhance its network of Dulux Decorator Centres and further improve the service and support offered to its trade customers.


The deals involve the purchase of Whites Trade Paints, based in South East London, and Cambrian Decorators Supplies (C.D.S.) Limited, which trades as The Colour Centre. The latter operates from eight stores in Newport, Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol, Bracknell, Swindon, Gloucester and Birmingham. “These excellent additions to the Dulux Decorator Centre network will enable us to further develop our business in South East London, South Wales, the West


Country


and the Midlands,” explained Alistair McAuley, the recently appointed managing director of AkzoNobel’s Decorative Paints business in the UK and Ireland. “I’ve been on both sides of these deals in the past and I’m excited to see Whites Trade Paints and The Colour Centre stores join our business as we continue to proudly support our customers in the UK. We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues to the AkzoNobel family.”


Both businesses will continue under their current trading format, operating under the leadership of John Henderson, Dulux


Decorator managing director. Centre


The merger is expected to result in a network of 2,800 Sainsbury’s, Argos and Asda outlets, with Argos counters put into Asda supermarkets The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has called on Sainsbury’s to provide assurances to its supply chain, as the supermarket chain announces it has agreed terms with Asda to merge the two companies. The grocer says the deal will


“create a dynamic new player in UK retail” and Sainsbury’s has promised to deliver savings to customers, slashing prices on some goods by as much as 10%. However, the FPB is concerned by comments made by Sainsbury’s CEO Mike Coupe this morning,


referring to the new larger supermarket being


able to achieve better discounts from suppliers.


Mr Coupe said the merger would deliver at least £500million in cost savings, largely as a result of improved efficiency and better buying benefits. Expanding the Argos network by introducing counters in Asda stores is expected to result in around £75million of those benefits. Reacting to the comments, FPB managing director Ian Cass said: “We’re very concerned that the new, larger business could use its position to further squeeze the small businesses in their supply chain, who are already working on tight margins.” The Forum says it is basing its


concern on previous experience of large retail groups imposing discounts on their smaller


suppliers, often with little notice and a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude towards these smaller firms. The Competition and Markets Authority has said that the planned merger is “likely to be subject to review” but, if allowed to go ahead, the deal will create one of the UK’s leading grocery,


general merchandise


Carol Paris to head up new garden centre group


Carol Paris will head Former Garden to


the new garden centre group.


up &


Leisure Group director and HTA CEO, Carol Paris has received backing from Puma Investments


develop a


group of garden centres in the south of England.


Ms Paris has announced


the formation of new company, Somerton Ltd, which she will use to develop garden centres in Southern England, focusing on “high-growth sectors including fresh local food and table service restaurants”. The new business


venture


has been financed by individual investors and Puma Investments. The fund management business is the principle investor in Rosebourne, which opened its first garden centre in Andover


the board of garden suppplier Briers, takes the helm as CEO of Somerton Ltd, bringing five years of experience as CEO of


the Horticultural Trades


Association (HTA). She also oversaw a £45million turnover at the Garden & Leisure Group as operations and buying director before it was sold to Wyevale in 2013. Rupert West,


investment


18 months ago and is currently developing a further site in Aldermaston set to open later this


year. Somerton Ltd has signed a franchise agreement with Rosebourne and will trade at its centres under the Rosebourne brand.


Ms Paris, who is also on


Garden industry backs national sun protection campaign


Celebrity gardeners are backing a national sun protection campaign, using humour to fight melanoma, with four of the biggest names in gardening agreeing to look ‘ridiculous’ to help punch the message home. David Domoney, Adam Frost, Mark Lane and David Stevens appear in the Watch Your Back!


www.diyweek.net


campaign like you’ve never seen them before, to urge people to think twice about their protection habits.


sun


The campaign, devised by the Melanoma Fund features in over 220 garden centres from May, warning gardeners that ignoring sun protection is simply ‘ridiculous’, specifically targeting men over 50


who are the least likely to cover up, but are most likely to die from the effects of excessive sun exposure. Campaign


ambassador Alan


Titchmarsh said: “This approach may appear light-hearted, but the message is serious. Sunburn can not only triple the risk of melanoma, it looks terrible, so look after your skin, whatever your age.”


director at Puma andhead of Puma EIS, said: “We are delighted to be backing Somerton Ltd and to have such an experienced retailer at the helm in Carol Paris. “There is proven demand in the market for the kind of high quality offer that Somerton will be providing and the company is now well funded for site acquisition and development.”


and clothing retail groups, with combined revenues of around £51billion for 2017. There are no plans to close any stores in the Asda or Sainsbury’s portfolio and both retail businesses will be maintained, resulting in a network of more than 2,800 Sainsbury’s, Asda and Argos stores.


Wilko signs lease for


new store in Sheffield


The discount home and garden retailer is set to open a new 10,000sq ft outlet on the St James Retail Park in Sheffield next month.


It will be one of the first


retailers to open its doors at the new shopping destination when it launches in June, and follows hot on the heels of the opening of a Wilko store in Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre in March.


ft


The new 10,000 square store will carry Wilko’s key


product ranges, including homewares and furnishings, garden and outdoor lifestyle products, DIY and decorating, and health & beauty. It is expected to generate 46 new jobs within the local area. Wilko chief operating officer Sean Toal said: “We are delighted to have signed the lease at St James Retail Park and can’t wait to open our doors in June. “The new retail park is


in a


fantastic location, with great transport links and free parking, and we’re sure it will become the go-to place for locals looking to stock up on products for their homes and gardens for years to come.” Other retail chains set to open


their doors on the retail park include TK Maxx, Aldi, Pets at Home, and Next.


11 MAY 2018 DIY WEEK 5


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