COMMENT The perfect blend


No 5,858 - 14 June 2019 www.diyweek.net


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Editor, Fiona Garcia: fgarcia@datateam.co.uk In This Issue


© 2019 Datateam Business Media Ltd. DIY Week incorporates Decor Retailing, DIY Retail Leaders, DIY Superstore, Do-It-Yourself


Retailing, Domestic Electrical Appliances,


Excellence In Garden Retailing, Excellence In Woodcare Retailing, Excellence In Timber Retailing, Excellence In Tile Retailing, Garden Retail Leaders, Garden Retailing, Hardware Merchandiser, Hardware Trade Journal, Homecentre, Home Storage Retailing, The Ironmonger, Ironmongery & Hardware, Lighting, Martineau & Smith’s Monthly Circular, Mercantile Guardian, Superstore Management, Tools Retailing, and Wholesale Leaders. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from the publishers. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material published in DIY Week. However, Datateam Business Media Ltd will not be liable for any inaccuracies. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers. DIY Week is registered at Stationers’ Hall. ISSN 0954-8823. DIY Week is printed on environmentally friendly paper; both text paper and cover stock are elementary chlorine free and sourced from paper suppliers with a well planned environmental policy. This issue of DIY Week includes some editorial photographs provided and paid for by suppliers. Printed by Buxton Press.


P4 / NEWS


The latest headlines from across the home improvement and garden sector


P8 / RETAIL INSIGHT Squire’s Gardem Centres chairman Sarah Squire


shares her plans for the business


“You have to make an emotional connection with your customer”


Founded in 1874


The DIY Week team was fortunate enough to attend the Global DIY Summit in Dublin last week, where yet another great line-up of speakers presented their ideas on the future of retailing in the home improvement market.


has created in the market, he believes “good, old fashioned face-to-face retail service still has a role to play”. This comment resonated with me when I thought of two of the retailers we have profiled in this issue.


Neil Munz-Jones told delegates that, despite the fantastic opportunities technology


Right Price DIY and Tile Mountain are two very different businesses but both place customer service at the heart of what they do - as every retailer should do.


still recognises the value of face-to-face interactions with customers, which is why getting its portfolio of physical showrooms is absolutely vital.


Express opened down the road, maintaining that knowing your customer and offering a personal touch is key to its success when so much else is focused on price. Meanwhile, Tile Mountain, which operates a keenly-efficient, data-led retail model,


It is also why chairman Mo Iqbal insists that he and his team spend as much time in the outlets as possible; gathering crucial insight from Tile Mountain’s customers and using that to shape the business going forward Neil concluded his presentation by saying: “You have to make an emotional connection with your customer and you really have to mean it! “It has to be more than just selling them products. Make yourself useful to your customers and help them on their journey by blending the best of physical and digital”. Wise words indeed.


Right Price managed to stay strong and survive the giant that is Screwfix when DIY


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P15 / INDEPENDENT FOCUS


Our quarterly pull-out providing insight for independent retailers


www.diyweek.net P13 / RANGE REVIEW: TILES


A closer look at the tiles sector, with market data, top trends and products and a retailer profile


14 JUNE 2019 DIY WEEK 3 Published by


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