COMMENT Spring is in the air


Founded in 1874 No 5,886 - March 2021 www.diyweek.net


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“What better way for the industry to celebrate all this new found potential and positivity than by taking part in this year’s DIY Week Awards?”


The clocks have gone forward, the days are getting longer, the temperature is rising, the daffodils are blooming and there’s a definite feeling of spring in the air. Now, as the Covid-19 restrictions ease, we are finally starting see a light at the end of what has been a long and challenging tunnel and it certainly feels like we are about to make a fresh start and can head into the rest of the year with great deal more optimism. I know that lockdown hasn’t been all bad for our industry, a view certainly reflected in Kingfisher’s recent end of year results (see our lead news story on page 4), and we’ve been able to make the most of what has generally been a pretty bad situation. But despite this, lockdown and the imposed restrictions have been hard to endure for everyone and the thought of being able to visit friends and relatives and go for a drink down the local pub has a new found joy. Having been stripped of the freedoms we’ve enjoyed unrestricted for so long has been hard to take, but will hopefully help us appreciate them all the more when they return.


A lot has changed over the last year and a new generation of DIYers and young gardeners have emerged from the pandemic with newfound skills and enthusiasm for improving their own environments in which they’ve been forced to spend more time. Now we have to encourage and nurture this new customer base in the hope they will continue to be enthused by the results of their labours and realise just how much they can achieve with their own efforts, in both the house and garden. It’s a generation that’s grown up online and well used to social media, so this is where we have to engage with them, if we are to hold onto them so they come back for more. So as a retailer or supplier, ensuring you’ve got a good online offering and interesting social presence is key to keep this new clientele inspired and the business growing and moving forward, as independent business development consultant and specialist in the DIY and garden sector, Andy Campbell explains in his column on page 23 of this issue.


And what better way for the industry to celebrate all this new found potential and positivity than by taking part in this year’s DIY Week Awards? Utilising a proven digital format, this year’s event will be beamed live to more people than ever before, and with the entry deadline extended, there’s never been a better time to check out the website for details at www.diyweekawards.co.uk and jump on board. I can’t wait to see you on the journey!


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


P10 / ADHESIVES & SEALANTS


Henkel recently commissioned a study on the impact that Covid-19 lockdowns have had on the DIY sector


We are proud to sponsor the Rainy Day Trust


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P21 / GARDEN & WOODCARE


Forest Garden has come up with a neat modular pergola, which at less than 2m square, will fit most spaces


www.diyweek.net P28 / MERCHANDISING & POS


With half of UK homeowners expected to spend over £6,500, what opportunities lie ahead for DIY brands?


MARCH 2021 DIY WEEK 3 Published by


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