NEWS


Retailers benefit from rises in footfall each day from Boxing Day


According to retail experts Springboard, footfall across UK retail destinations was -27.7% lower the week after Christmas than in the week leading up to Christmas Day, and just +7.2% higher than in the same week in 2021. The relatively modest uplift from last year would have partly been due to the offset in dates, with the week commencing on Christmas Day 2022 versus Boxing Day in 2021, which provided an additional trading day last year. The gap from the 2019 level was -19.7%,


with much of this gap being a consequence of the date offset which meant the same week in 2019 commenced


29th December, with six full trading days.


Footfall on Boxing Day 2022 was +38.8% higher than on


Consumer survey highlights effects of cost of living crisis on home improvements


Tradespeople could see a downturn in custom as more homeowners expect to undertake DIY due to the soaring cost of living, according to research by flooring retailer Factory Direct Flooring (FDF). However, results also bring to the fore other consumer needs, which could be capitalised on. The survey, of more than 1,000 female homeowners revealed that 81 percent expect to undertake more home improvement tasks themselves due to the rising cost of living. Nevertheless, with 72 percent also wanting to feel more confident in undertaking DIY activities and 32 percent citing their partner is ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to ‘mess up’ a task, there is


BHETA launches free international trade advice service


BHETA has launched a free helpline and business support service for members covering any question related to international trade. This includes: excise; customs computer systems; DEFRA requirements; UK/EU VAT; finance and payment methods; dangerous goods; USA ITAR rules; and managing agents and distributors. All BHETA members need to do is contact BHETA service provider, Strong & Herd, to pose their questions which can cover worldwide issues as well as questions nearer to home such as those arising from BREXIT. More information can be found on the BHETA website at www. bheta.co.uk.


4 DIY WEEK JANUARY 2023


an opportunity to meet customer needs in new ways. For example, tradespeople could bolster income through tough times with at-home, one-to-one tutorials or a half-and-half approach to elements of a project, therefore helping people to get jobs done but also save a little money. With only 12 percent stating they would cut back on home decoration, the other question the results pose is, will homeowners find the time to do it themselves?


FDF founder Paul Hambidge commented: “The DIY trend really took off during the lockdowns when people had more time on their hands to take on projects and learn new skills – and our research shows 78 per


Boxing Day 2021, but -18.2% lower than on Boxing Day 2019. Footfall rose by +36.6% from Boxing Day to 27th December, with a greater uplift in retail parks and shopping centres than in high streets (+63.8% in retail parks and +45.4% in shopping centres vs +19.7% in high streets). This is not a surprising result as consumers sought out discounts in larger retail stores located in retail parks and shopping centres, and replenished groceries in food stores on retail parks.


Footfall on 28th December increased by a further +6.7%


from 27th December and then by +13.4% from 28th December to 29th December. Footfall dropped away on 30th December, with a decline of -2.6% from the day before and on New Year’s Eve it fell once again and by a greater magnitude of -14.8% from 30th December.


Over the six days from Boxing


Day, footfall was +16.3% higher than on the same dates in 2021, with double digit rises on each day other than on 31st December when footfall was just +1.9% higher than on 31st December 2021. The gap from 2019 over the six days from Boxing Day averaged -11.9%, however the gap was narrowed by a significant uplift of +26.6% on 29th December which fell on a Thursday vs Sunday in 2019. Excluding this day, the gap in footfall from 2019 averaged -19.5%.


Retailer shares secrets of success as it is crowned UK’s favourite local business


Isle of Wight home, DIY and garden retailer W. Hurst & Son has taken the top spot in a nationwide search to find the UK’s favourite local business, and it has put its success down to one thing.


cent of households undertook DIY home improvements during this period. This was certainly reflected in our sales. While our recent research seems to indicate tradespeople could be in for a rocky ride as people choose to save money and do it themselves, the difference to now and 2020 is having spare time and we know three quarters of women surveyed want to feel more confident with tasks.”


Wickes opens new store in Bolton


Wickes has opened a new store as part of the business’ on-going investment into its store estate. Located in Trinity Street, the new store has been designed in line with the Wickes distinctive service model. There are clear areas that cater for trade, DIYers and those consumers looking for support on larger transformational home improvement projects, making it easier for customers to shop.


The new Wickes store features a brand-new kitchen and bathroom


showroom to help customers plan their dream home with on-trend ranges. The retailer’s ‘Do It For Me’ service offers expert design consultants who are on hand to provide advice to customers either face to face or through virtual meetings. Trade customers will find a large availability of stock making it easier to complete projects on time and all TradePro members will get a 10% discount. DIYers will find an updated paint range with Dulux colour mixing service together with a wide variety of tile and flooring products to choose from. Supporting the increase in digital shopping, the Bolton store has a dedicated Click & Collect area as well as a Park and Collect for customers along with smart fulfilment space to assist local home deliveries from online and instore orders.


A commitment to traditional values has seen a historic Isle of Wight retailer crowned as Britain’s favourite local business. Thousands of entries for businesses around the UK were received in the competition. Finalists included women’s clothing store Chester Boutique, Bristol sustainable lifestyle store Prior, Colchester gift emporium Bill & Berts and Harrogate based Crown Jewellers.


Hurst, which has six branches in the Isle of Wight and dates back to 1859, was the winning business with over 500 votes and will receive £500 of Town & City Gift Cards to share with staff.


Retail industry expert Jevon Kennedy is the managing director of Hurst and has over 35 years’ retail experience with brands including Debenhams. In a challenging retail


environment, Hurst is bucking the trend, which Kennedy believes is down to the company’s old fashioned values, staff team and a willingness to be flexible. “There’s a real sense of pride at


receiving this amazing accolade as the UK’s favourite local business,” said Kennedy. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am.


Covers acquires Wingham Timber


Covers Timber and Builders Merchant has announced the acquisition of Wingham Timber and Mouldings, based near Canterbury in Kent. Wingham Timber is an independent timber merchant supplying construction grade timber, sheet materials, internal mouldings, wooden flooring,


garden fencing and decking materials, along with timber for garden structures. Wingham Timber’s principal owners and directors, Beau Hart and Nigel Hylands, will continue their involvement with the business, with Beau assisting during a transitional period, and Nigel continuing to operate the business.


Nigel Hylands commented:


“We see Covers as an ideal new home for Wingham with its family ownership and similar values. I look forward to continuing to run the business and overseeing the transition to a new General Manager in due course.”


www.diyweek.net


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