NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF
n The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) has received national recognition in the Association Excellence Awards. BIRA is shortlisted for best association website in the national awards, following the organisation’s recent rebrand and new website launch. The Association Excellence Awards are respected across the sector. Entries are accessed by over 25 judges who are all chief executives of leading associations n Celebrities, including Charlie Dimmock and Alan Titchmarsh, are supporting ‘Watch Your Back!’, a sun protection campaign for gardeners devised by the Myfanwy Townsend Melanoma Research Fund and partnered by the GCA and other gardening organisations. Nearly 160 garden centres across the UK are also supporting the campaign, including Dobbies, Hillier, Squires, Blue Diamond, and Bents. If you are interested in supporting the campaign instore, contact Michelle Baker on 01892 319845 n Floradecora has created a virtual tour that brings to life the fresh flowers, decorative plants and flower arrangements showcased in its 2017 debut. This can be found at floradecora.
messefrankfurt.com/ virtualtour. The trade- fair concept will again be held again alongside Christmasworld in 2018. n Wyevale Nurseries loaned children’s charity WellChild a number of plants for its Spring into Gardening fundraising event, which took place on Thursday, April 6 at the Royal Agricultural University. The event was chaired by TV presenter and producer, Camilla Bassett-Smith. Attendees were shown the tricks of the trade with live demonstrations from green-fingered garden designers n Keyline donated £10,000-worth of tickets to give over 200 deserving veterans, along with their partners and carers, the chance to attend a tribute show to honour Forces’ Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn, who turned 100 last month, and raise funds for her legacy charity – The Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity.
2 DIY WEEK 14 APRIL 2017
ManoMano celebrates £4.4m turnover within first year of trading
European DIY marketplace ManoMano is celebrating the first year of trading in the UK, having achieved a £4.4m turnover. According
to sell their the startup,
more than 100 local merchants have signed a partnership to
products on the
website, with 185,000 items now available online, making ManoMano one of the leading distributors on the market. ManoMano was created
back in 2013 and has always had its eye on the £38bn UK home improvement and garden industry. Its business platform works on the basis of “providing
a wider choice at more competitive prices than current players.” It is expecting to triple its product offering in the UK and reach a turnover of £10m by the end of the year.
ManoMano has projected a €100m turnover in the UK market alone by the end of 2019.
ManoMano co-founder Philippe de Chanville said: “To disrupt such a competitive market like the UK and build a community for the long term, you need to stand out by the quality of your offer, not just by the quantity of products available
or the low prices
ManoMano is becoming a major player in the DIY and garden market just one year after launching in the UK
advertised on the website. “This conviction has driven
us
from the very beginning. That is why we like to say that we are delivering comfort, trust
Montgomeryshire nursery opens new site
King’s Nurseries has opened a new state-of-the art retail site and is increasing its production of specialist plants to meet growing retail and wholesale demand, thanks to a six-figure finance package from HSBC. King’s Nurseries, which has been co-owned by husband and wife Marcus and Claire King for nearly 20 years, has used the funding to purchase a six-acre site in Garthmyl, Montgomeryshire. The new retail plant centre
officially opened on Saturday, April 1 and will house thousands of specialist plants, including surfinia hanging baskets, geraniums and begonias. The funding has also been used to construct 65,000sq ft of greenhouses, set over three acres, as well as a streamlined modern till system in the retail area for the public to purchase plants. Four new jobs have been created in the local area as a result of the deal – one
Photography Credit: Mike Sheridan/NWN Media
and smiles, more than products and services! They are our main ingredients to reinvent DIY and Gardening in the UK - and everywhere else in Europe.”
Argos to grow own-brand homeware ranges
Following its takeover by Sainsbury’s last year, Argos has revealed plans to grow its own-brand product ranges, with a particular focus on homewares. The
retailer
Claire and Marcus King celebrate the opening of King’s Nurseries in Garthmyl, Montgomeryshire.
full-time role and three part-time seasonal roles. King’s Nurseries is a specialist
producer of bedding and basket plants, perennials, trees and shrubs and supplies
pubs, hotels, local authorities, garden centres,
flower shops
and market traders in Wales and the Midlands.
to
Co-owner Claire King said: “Expanding the small nursery we own near our home has been a dream of ours for many years. Thanks
to the HSBC
funding, we’ve been able to achieve this with the launch of our new retail site… It was a joy to see our customers’ reactions to the new facilities.”
Key acquisitions and investments in the DIY sector
The past month saw wood preservative and specialist paint manufacturer Rustins Limited purchase Clam-Brummer Limited, Velcro Companies acquire a minority stake in pet products firm Petface Ltd, and the Hultafors Group buy Swedish specialist protective clothing supplier Puvab. Rustins acquisition of Brummer means it is now the custodian of the company’s brand and products, which includes the manufacture of a range of wood fillers, woodcare products and adhesives for specialist exhibition, museum and display applications, and Peel – a wallcovering release coat.
In 2013 Rustins also bought competitor Briwax, when owners Tony and Martin Bollom retired, adding the Briwax brand of wax polishes to its wooodcare range. Meanwhile, the investment by global brand, Velcro in Petface, a UK-based designer and distributor of pet-related products, will see the two companies
develop new products to bring to market.
Petface CEO Peter Johnson said: “We are looking forward to working with their development teams, and both businesses are
dedicated to the details
that make products functional, durable and easy to use. This
significant investment aligns the business and gives Petface the perfect platform to grow internationally.” Finally, Hultafors is hoping its
deal collaborate to
to Swedish firm, Puvab, - a specialist in flame resistant safety wear and protective clothing for workers in energy and utility markets - will further strengthen and complement its the Snickers Workwear brand in the UK.
Managing director of the Hultafors Group in the UK, David Clark said: “Having Puvab, with its leading products in our portfolio, complements our offering within protective workwear and safety shoes very effectively.”
will be using
the design expertise of its new supermarket owner to drive growth in the homeware category, among others. Commercial director
Robbie
Feather, who is the former head of Sainsbury’s online business, said that Argos had been strong on brands in categories such as electricals and gadgets. He explained that there were now big opportunities to develop more of Argos’ own products, emphasising the strategy would involve driving “hard into home.” Sales recently rose 4.3% at Argos for the nine weeks to March 11, with bosses saying they were very pleased with the store’s performance since last year’s acquisition.
The Sainsbury’s team will be helping to develop Argos’ own-brand products
www.diyweek.net
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