COMMENT Let’s not do the time warp


No 5,841 - 10 August 2018 www.diyweek.net


Editor: Fiona Garcia 01622 699 161 fgarcia@datateam.co.uk


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


© 2018 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 / CONFERENCE REPORT Keynote presentations from The Home Depot chief


strategy officer and the co-founder of ManoMano


“You can either bitch and moan about it or you can


embrace it!” Founded in 1874


There’s some tough talking for retailers in this issue from both Matt Schweickert of The Home Depot and ManoMano founder Christian Raisson. Both predict the number of retail operators will continue to decline rapidly if businesses don’t shape up and evolve to address the changing landscape and shifting customer expectations. Matt says the retail playbook that worked four years ago will be obsolete soon, whilst Christian went as far as to tell DIY retailers they had failed to do the job and have become stuck in their ways. And, this isn’t just a prediction for the United States or part of Europe; this is a picture they are painting across the globe. Physical stores are still important – The Home Depot is about to invest a further $5billion in


its estate – but that is not enough now. It doesn’t matter the size of your business, you need to provide a digital experience to enhance what you are providing instore. You can’t rely on high street or retail park footfall alone to drive customers through your doors, you need them to be able to find you online and do their research to get a feel you’re your business and what you offer research before they even think about paying you a visit. Times are changing and, whilst this change presents some exciting opportunities, there are also challenges if you are not open to embracing new concepts and tools. The average age of employees across ManoMano is 27 and the company regularly creates new job roles, such as digital scientist and growth hacker (both of which I had to Google to find out what they were) to develop key skills within the business. I’m not saying you need to take it to that extreme but you also don’t want to become stagnant and stuck in the same model. It reminds me of a conversation I had with Tile Mountain chairman Mo Iqbal recently about how demanding the consumer has become and how his business is introducing new technology, like live chat, in order to keep up. He said: “The customer wants more, so you can either bitch and moan about it or you can embrace it!” Hopefully, if reading what Matt and Christian have to say in this edition gets you fired up, it will be to start thinking of ways to embrace the change that is happening and to make sure your business is primed to make the most of any opportunities that arise.


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P18 / RANGE REVIEW: POS & MERCHANDISING


Advice, case studies, top tips and supplier offers to help enhance your in-store merchandising


www.diyweek.net


P22 / RANGE REVIEW: DECORATING


How sustainability practices and eco-conscious customers are shaking up the decorating industry


10 AUGUST 2018 DIY WEEK 3 Published by


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