NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF
n The Bathroom Association has urged the new government to end uncertainty and bring stability back to the economy following the Conservative’s landslide victory on 12 December. This includes extending the Brexit transition period, to secure a deal and a fully planned withdrawal. n The Horticultural Trades Association has welcomed the General Election result, releasing a statement saying: “We look forward to promptly engaging with the new Government and parliamentarians to make the case for how a strong and vibrant horticulture sector is imperative for the Government to deliver its manifesto pledges”. n Writer and broadcaster Paul Mason will be talking about the economy and the political landscape during his guest speech at the Garden Centre Association’s annual conference in January 2020. n Wincanton, the largest UK third-party logistics (3PL) company, has launched its fully managed customer order delivery service for Homebase. n Dunelm Group has confirmed that gross margins have been stronger than expected as a result of sourcing gains and better sell through. Operational costs remain well controlled and in line with expectations. The company has also transitioned all of its customers to a new digital platform. This cloud-native platform will be used to accelerate the development of the company’s customer proposition.
Customers have reportedly responded well to the new website and didn’t see any adverse impact to performance, maintaining strong sales growth both online and in stores. In light of this, the Board now anticipates that the full year profit before tax will be higher than previous expectations, assuming no significant change in consumer demand as a result of the outcome of the general election. n The Travis Perkins/ Wickes demerger is progressing well, and on track to be completed in the Q2 2020, according to a statement from the Travis Management team.
4 DIY WEEK 23 DECEMBER 2019
Double award for AkzoNobel at British Coatings Federation Awards
AkzoNobel scooped an awards double at the British Coatings Federation awards.
Marking the 10th anniversary of the awards, the paint manufacturer was recognised for its commitment to innovation, as well as customer experience. AkzoNobel won
awards for
Coatings Care Awards Overall Best Performer and Customer Service and was highly commended in the Excellence in Training category, while Dulux Trade was highly commended in the Marketing Campaign of the Year Awards category. Teams from this arm of the AkzoNobel business took to the stage to receive recognition at the
event, which celebrates success in the coatings, wallcoverings and printing inks industry, as well as showcasing the achievements of BCF member companies and individuals.
BiKBBI calls for retailers to ‘get on the bus!’
The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) is once again partnering with KBB, the premier industry trade show held between 1-4 March 2020 at the NEC Birmingham, and is calling upon independent retailers to ‘get on the bus’! In a change from a more traditional stand, BiKBBI plan to drive a bright red London Routemaster bus into the exhibition hall, hosting a series of themed events from the British double-decker, which has been kindly sponsored by Victoria
Plum Trade. BiKBBI’s attendance will include a series of events aimed at its audience, including live social media broadcasting, press awareness sessions and an open invite to independent retailers to find out more about the new ‘Protected’ initiative and partnership with the institute. Communications manager, Nicole Mercer, commented: “We cannot wait to attend the event in March and we’re expecting to share some news as part of the event. Our live broadcasting was a huge success in 2018, with over 1.8 million views
Alistair McAuley, AkzoNobel UK and Ireland managing director, said: “AkzoNobel is at the forefront of development in the coatings industry with our teams across the UK introducing
a number of innovative initiatives over the last 12 months, which all demonstrate the business’ continued commitment to developing quality products and solutions for our customers. “We’ve really put customer experience at the heart of our development and spent a significant amount of time and focus across many areas of the business, from enhancing our sustainability credentials to expanding the training and development offering for our decorators at the Dulux Academy. “It’s a great achievement to have won these awards and for the hard work of the team right across the UK to be recognised.”
Success for Scruffs at ‘On the Tools’ Awards
internationally. We’re also using the opportunity to connect with retailers and share details of the Protected initiative.”
Trustmark and trading standards scheme offers additional level of consumer protection and trade accreditation
Following on from the
recent inclusion in the ECO3 regulations, TrustMark, the only Government Endorsed
Quality Scheme,
is offering an additional level of consumer protection and trade accreditation to
both householders repair, and
tradespeople looking to do any
maintenance
or improvement work in or around the home. In partnership
with
Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards, the two government organisations are delivering the ‘Trading Standards Approval’ scheme to help consumers gain confidence when looking to employ a trader. The scheme is an accreditation that reassures and protects homeowners that the firm they employ to work in their home complies with TrustMark
Government-endorsed quality
for workmanship, understands fair trading practices and has consumer protection as an integral part of their business. The scheme, which is being local
delivered by across local
authorities
the UK, gives firms reassurance with national
recognition. It also provides firms with further credibility that they are reputable and have a solid trading history as customers will know they have been thoroughly checked and approved by both Trading Standards and TrustMark to use this accreditation.
Simon Ayers, CEO of
TrustMark, said: “With rising consumer expectations, homeowners are seeking higher levels of service and quality workmanship, resulting in tradespeople having to meet and deliver better standards of work and customer service for every job they do. “The Trading Standards
Approved scheme isn’t just another
‘badge’ offering to add
to a firm’s website, van and marketing materials, it’s an investment
benefits - consumers
great like
the added confidence when seeing businesses that have been ‘approved’ directly by Trading Standards and businesses want to provide a clear message that they can be trusted and relied on.” For more on the scheme,
trustmark.org.uk
Scruffs has
scooped
two
awards at the 2019 On The Tools Awards for Workwear and Boot Brand of the Year, as voted for by UK tradespeople. Marketing manager at Scruffs, Deborah Hunt, said: “We were thrilled to win not one but two of the prestigious awards at the On The Tools Awards this year, beating some really stiff competition! This is the fourth year running that we have been awarded these two titles which means so much to us because they are voted for by tradespeople themselves - so we know that our products are really meeting the needs and expectations of our customers when put to the test across a broad range of trades.
“I’d like to congratulate our whole team – the product designers, category managers, the sales team, everyone – for the fantastic products we’ve created and continue to create, delivering head-to-toe comfort and exceptional value for money to our customers. “We’ve got some exciting new
products in the pipeline to be revealed soon.”
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