COMMENT More of the same for now


Founded in 1874 No 5,884 - January 2021 www.diyweek.net


Director of Editorial: Neil Mead 07976 255274


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Publication Manager: Sallie Payne 01622 699151


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Media Director: Paul Ryder 01622 699105


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In This Issue


© 2021 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 and breaking news from across the home improvement and garden sectors


P12 / FLOORING & FLOORCARE


This month we’ve been testing out IOBAC’s innovative Ezy-Install magnetic flooring solution


ideas and innovations that we will be celebrating at this year’s DIY Week Awards”


January is usually a time to look forward to the year ahead with hope and optimism about what it may bring, but unfortunately it seems, for the next few months at least, we are in for more of the same, as it takes up from where 2020 left off. This time last year, very few people would have predicted the profound affect the


coronavirus pandemic would have on our daily lives and how much it would impact businesses and the wider economy. Tragically, over 100,000 people have now lost their lives to Covid-19 in the UK and each one has left behind a grieving family and loved ones. This has certainly been a dark period in our history and everyone was hoping it would be over by now and we could start getting back to some kind of normal. But here we are in lockdown again, almost twelve months on from when the first cases were reported. But there is a light at the end of this long tunnel in the form of a vaccine and once we get this fully rolled out, hopefully we will be able to start opening things up again. We have to remain positive and with that in mind it’s time to look forward to the spring and much better times ahead.


As far as business is concerned, the DIY, home improvement and garden sectors have been lucky as the government has continued to classify them as providing essential goods and services, which has been a real godsend for our industry. It means there have still been plenty of exciting new products and solutions developed for the DIY market, which has seen a surge in demand while most of us are forced to stay at home. And it’s these great ideas and innovations, along with the ingenuity and resilience shown by the industry, that we will be celebrating at this year’s DIY Week Awards. Now in their tenth anniversary year, the awards have become the leading scheme for the recognition of excellence from across the DIY, home improvement and garden sectors. Entries are now open and you can find out more about what we have planned online at www.diyweekawards.co.uk and in this issue on page 22. We will be bringing you more news and updates about the awards in the next few issues, as we look forward to being able to celebrate the industry’s achievements and the return to some form of normality later in the year.


Director of Editorial, Neil Mead: DIYWeek@Datateam.co.uk


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P17 / PEST CONTROL


Sipcam Home & Garden set to grow sales of Blumen International’s portfolio in UK following distribution deal


www.diyweek.net P20 / SPRING FAIR PREVIEW


Spring Fair @ Home will provide a key hub for industry professionals in the UK and around the world


JANUARY 2021 DIY WEEK 3 Published by


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