NEWS


Horticultural plan launched in Scotland


Gender pay gap in the DIY and Garden industry revealed


Today marks the deadline for businesses to submit a report with their gender pay gap figures, which has since revealed that the average pay gap in the UK is 18.4% in favour of men.


A Scottish Horticultural Action Plan, highlighting the contribution of parks and gardens to the wider Scottish economy, has been launched. The Plan, which sets out 10 asks of Scottish Government and pledges to support them in achieving these asks. The Plan focuses on 5 key areas where horticulture has a significant role to play. These are Education, Health/ Well- Being, Environment, Economy and Tourism. ‘‘It has been such a long


journey but finally today after years of discussions, debates and changes the Scottish Horticulture Action Plan has now been launched, ‘’ said Neil Cummings, business manager for the HTA and chairman of the horticulture panel which represents 28 organisations and businesses across Scotland. Neil presented the first copies of the newly printed document to David Knott, curator of Living Collections, at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.


Mr Knott said: “This Horticultural Action Plan highlights the significant contribution parks and gardens make to the wider Scottish economy and also recognises the wider benefits of plants to the environment and our education, health and wellbeing in Scotland.”


The gender pay gap is not the same as having unequal pay, which would be against the law. By law, men and women with the same jobs have to be paid the same wages. A gender pay gap can arise if there are more highly-paid men than women in a company, if women are seen to be less experienced than their male counterparts, or if women take a hit to their salary after taking maternity leave. In reporting gender pay, firms with more than 250 staff have to publish data on the average


difference between male and female employees. With a focus on the DIY, home improvement and garden industry, analysis from the government findings suggest the gender pay gap is larger than expected. For instance, B&Q reports that women’s mean hourly rate is 8.8% lower than men’s, and the median hourly rate is 2% lower. Further findings from the report show that across all four quartiles in B&Q men have a higher representation, with the highest paid positions in the company are largely taken by men, showing only 38.3% of them to be female.


B&Q said in its report: “This analysis shows that our gender pay gap is driven by a lower


level of female representation in senior roles within the company.” Wyevale Garden Centre has


reported women’s mean hourly rate is 16% lower than men’s, however the median hourly rate is 0% showing that men and women earn the same. Across pay quartiles, Wyevale Garden Centre has shown a much larger representation of women in the business, with women in a higher percentage over men, apart from the highest quartile which is the senior positions of the company which highlight that 48.8% of these positions are taken by women. A detailed report of the gender pay gap in the DIY, home improvement and garden centre industry will be featured in our May 11 issue of DIY Week.


Dunelm introduces DIY offering with Amtech in-store trial


Homeware and furniture retailer, Dunelm Group, has taken the unprecedented step of approaching Amtech, to run a DIY trial in 40 of its stores.


Dunelm’s new venture is a game changer for the DIY industry, as the retailer is keen to position itself as a one-stop shop for consumers’ home improvement projects. The 171-strong retail chain already carries bedding, curtains, furniture, beds and mattresses, as well as home accessories, small electricals and cookware. The trial will be live in 40


stores in time for Easter and will be supported with Amtech DIY branded signage to drive footfall to the fixture


and reinforce the three-year product guarantee. The trial will be featured on a 1m bay in the power-aisle and will essentially consist of 48 core light-side DIY SKU’s.


The deal is a major coup for Amtech, a DK Tools brand, as it continues in its pursuit of addressing the generational skills gaps with a consumer- friendly brand and product proposition. Amtech national accounts manager Chris Mahon said of the deal: “Dunelm approached us to provide a bay of essential DIY items for their shoppers. This is a very exciting development and a mutually-beneficial opportunity that will no doubt appeal to Dunelm’s core customer base.”


53% of retailers admit “always on” sales are damaging profits


New research from payments provider Klarna, shows that retailers are under increasing pressure to discount to keep up with competition and rising customer expectations. Discounting is no longer confined to the traditional winter and summer sales, the new rules of retail mean discounting has become a fluid and unpredictable phenomenon – with over half (57%) of consumers expecting regular sales. The research of 500 British


retailers highlighted the negative impact this can have on the bottom line of merchants. Over


www.diyweek.net


half of retailers surveyed (53%) say the “always on” nature of sales is having a negative impact on profits – and shockingly, over one in 10 (11%) saying discounting cost them over £25,000 throughout 2017. This isn’t felt just by smaller retailers, but merchants of all sizes – in fact, it’s those with 100-239 employees that feel the burden most with 66% saying constant discounts are impacting profits. The e-commerce channel is particularly vulnerable, with 56% of retailers saying the majority of their discounted transactions come from online trade. Commenting on the research,


Luke Griffiths, managing director at Klarna UK, said: “Discounting can be a significant source of stress for retailers of all sizes – from the impact on profits to the operational difficulties that come with managing sales activity. Many merchants will discount to shift unwanted stock, so part of the solution is to make better, more educated purchasing decisions.” “But our research also shows


how retailers can win over customers without slashing prices. Instead of discounting, merchants would do well to focus on perfecting the customer journey – from an inspirational


browsing experience through to a seamless checkout phase, with multiple payment options and one-click repeat purchase options.”


Gardman rubbishes recent closure rumours


Garden products firm, Gardman has refuted rumours that it has already or is set to cease trading as a result of a huge blaze at its Daventry warehouse earlier this month. A spokesperson told DIY


Week: “Following the fire at our warehouse in Daventry on March 12, we can confirm that we will use our warehouse at Kings Lynn to supply customers until a permanent warehousing solution has been identified... We will divert our stock sat at UK ports and stock arriving from overseas to the Kings Lynn site. We are also planning to supply an essential range of wild bird care products from our UK and European suppliers, again through our Kings Lynn facility. We estimate it will take us five days to get our operation up and running. Therefore, we are planning first shipments w/c March 26.


“In the meantime, we continue to liaise with Northamptonshire Police and the other emergency services and remain thankful that there were no injuries. “We have received many


expressions of support from our customers and suppliers and we would like to thank you all for your patience during this difficult period as we put our recovery plan into action. “We will continue to update you as we progress via our website www.gardman.co.uk”


13 APRIL 2018 DIY WEEK 5


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