NEWS Rosebourne completes purchase of Wyevale centre


The Rosebourne team has announced the purchase of Wyevale at Hampton-in-Arden, near Solihull, with plans to run the site as a standalone centre before looking at potential of


incorporating it into the Rosebourne family.


The sale, which completed on Friday, November 2, includes seven acres of leasehold and two acres of freehold with the potential to develop. It will take Rosebourne’s estate to three centres.


The Hampton-in-Arden site is well known to the management team, having been run by


Rosebourne executive director Jon Kitching, as Blooms of Bressingham, before it was taken over by Wyevale. Rosebourne managing director


of Rosebourne, Neville Prest, is delighted with the acquisition. He said: “This is a fantastic site for us to develop – it certainly has a lot of potential. It will initially be run as a unique, stand-alone garden centre before we can examine the prospect of incorporating it into the Rosebourne family brand. “We’re pleased to inherit a good team of staff and are looking forward to investigating the exciting


possibilities for our


more recently by the launch of Rosebourne in Aldermaston, Berkshire, last month. The brand puts a strong emphasis on its food and catering offer and champions quality, fresh,


locally-sourced produce


in its restaurant and food hall, alongside a select range of plants, garden essentials, homewares and gifts. Taking


inspiration


third Rosebourne base.” Rosebourne currently operates two branches in the UK. Its first store in Weyhill, Hampshire opened two years ago, followed


from the


model of Jon Kitching’s Beckworth Emporium, Rosebourne’s aim is to give visitors “a relaxed and pleasurable shopping experience in a light, airy and upmarket setting” and the team has


created a unique environment that combines the freshness of a garden centre along with the charm of a farm shop and uplifting appeal of a buzzing restaurant. The Rosebourne venture is headed up by a highly- experienced team of directors, including industry veterans Neville Prest and Val Kempster who draw on their time at Garden & Leisure Group, Jon Kitching and Salim Sajid from Blooms of Bressingham and non-executive director David Brown. They


are supported chairman Charles Good B&Q ditches Black Friday in line with EDLP policy The chain


Kingfisher-owned announced


that


DIY it


won’t be slashing prices on November 23 along with other retailers hoping to cash in on Black Friday and will, instead, stick with its everyday low prices model. The retailer has followed a simplified low-pricing policy on kitchens since 2014 but invested £100million in rolling the model


that run frequent sales and occasional offers.


out across its 300 stores in July; basing the decision on research that suggested shoppers trust retailers offering year-round low prices far more than those


The news comes as experts comment on the unseasonably high number of discounts home improvement e-commerce retailers have been running in recent weeks meaning the effect of Black Friday may be diluted. B&Q has reinforced its decision to stick with its everyday low pricing model and abandon


BHETA launches 2019 National Home Improvement Month


Following the success of its inaugural consumer-facing promotion this year – National Home Improvement Week - the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) secures backing


to launch


its 2019 follow up initiative and extend the campaign, making April National Home Improvement Month;


Acting on feedback from the


industry, BHETA has extended the initiative to a month-long campaign and has already gained backing from some of the leading brands in the home improvement and DIY industry. Using the registered tag line


‘Love The Home You Live In’, the consumer awareness month will see big-name suppliers,


such as Fiskars, Husqvarna (Gardena, Flymo, McCulloch, Jonsered, Universal), Shurtape (Frog Tape, Duck Tape, T-Rex Tape), Sherwin-Williams (Valspar and


Ronseal), Gorilla Glue,


Schneider Electric, Croydex, Urfic UK, ZEP UK, L G Harris, Yale, Nilfisk and Doulton Water Filters


working together to engage with consumers and Rye DIY re-opens under Trade Paints banner


The independent DIY store, which has traded in the town for 25 years, closed its


doors in September


and has been taken over by Trade Paints, re-opening as the sixth branch within the decorating group on Monday, October 29. The statement read: “You may of [sic] heard rumours that we are getting a new owner, that was true, unfortunately due


to unforeseen


circumstances, that is no longer happening, and with the current owners retiring in September, our only option is to close.


“May we take this opportunity, to thank our customers, both past and present, for their support in helping us stay open for as long as we have.”


www.diyweek.net


However, just 10 days later, a competition was announced on Rye DIY’s Facebook page asking users to guess what shop would be opening on the site in coming weeks, before Trade Paints then confirmed, this month, that it had taken over the site and would be re-opening Rye DIY, offering “an extensive range of DIY products, as well as the superb range of decorating materials you’d expect from a Trade Paints


branch”. In order to meet with local demand, it also invited stock suggestions from local customers. Its new owners spent weeks re-fitting the shop and, whilst the business has retained its original name the store carries new signage that reflects the Trade Paints colourways and typography.


Black Friday discounts with reports that 46% of people say they aren’t planning to shop in this year’s Black Friday sales and 43% saying they often or always returned items after regretting purchases made in short term, dramatic sales. B&Q


commercial stable director


Paul White said of the decision: “Shoppers have told us they trust


low prices far


stimulate retail sales before and during the key Easter sales period. The run up to the campaign starts immediately. National Home Improvement Month aims to embrace all aspects of home and garden improvement, from trends, to techniques. The campaign will include online and traditional consumer and social media, including broadcast and national / regional press.


At its heart will be the dedicated National Home Improvement Month website featuring ideas and information, blogs and ‘how to’ videos.


more than ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ deals, which is why we have invested £100million in our year round low prices across the store. “Our pricing is all part of B&Q’s strategy to help make home improvement more affordable for all customers… [and means] shoppers don’t have to impulse buy to get the best deal. For us, it’s ‘Black Friday’ every day.”


by and financial director Hugh Jackson.


There will also be a full suite of marketing materials for retailers and wholesalers including point of sale, posters, and press ads, to enable them to promote their participation and drive sales at store level.


Woodcote Green sold to Dobbies Garden Centres


Following speculation over the future of the Woodcote Green Garden Centre site, it has been announced today that Wyevale Garden Centres (‘WGC’) has agreed the sale of the centre to Dobbies Garden Centre Centres. The news follows the announcement that Dobbies acquired five other WGC garden centres earlier this month. Located


in Centre


Surrey, Woodcote Green Garden


sales of £16.2million in 2016. Formerly owned by Chris Milan, who passed away last year, the


centre was bought by WGC in 2016 and run as a stand- alone entity within the Wyevale Group. Two weeks ago DIY Week


reported that developers had put in a successful bid to take on the site but had pulled the plug upon discovering they would be unable to build houses on the suite, as planned.


Wallington, reported


WCG chief executive Roger Mclaughlan said: “We are pleased to have agreed the sale of Woodcote Green to Dobbies, one of the UK’s biggest and most experienced garden centre operators.”


09 NOVEMBER 2018 DIY WEEK 5


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