NEWS Wickes Group releases 2021 results


Wickes Group plc has released its full year results for the year ended 1January 2022. Financial Highlights include: Revenue up 14.0% to £1.53bn (2020: £1.35bn) driven by further market share gains in Core, supported by


range


development, enhanced service proposition and strong digital performance; strengthened trade position with over 80,000 new TradePro customers, taking the base to over 630,000; and resilient performance in DIFM despite Covid disruption, supported by virtual customer journey and new ranges.


David Wood, Chief Executive,


said: “I am delighted to report a year of excellent growth. Our performance is testament to the resilience and hard work of our colleagues, our strong supplier relationships, uniquely balanced business model and market leading customer proposition.” “Our strategy is delivering


strong growth and return on investment. The results we are seeing, plus these strong returns, give us confidence to accelerate our investments to drive further growth.”


“Looking ahead, we expect to continue outperforming


the market and are well- placed


to capitalise on the


ongoing requirement for home improvement – namely an ageing housing stock, favourable consumer trends, and the increased focus on insulating


and retrofitting


homes. While we recognise the pressure that consumers will be facing in 2022, we have the right model, a strong pipeline and order book, and remain confident of making further progress in the current year driven by a material increase in DIFM revenues.” www.wickes.co.uk


Homebase returns to Coventry with brand-new store


Homebase has returned to Coventry with a new store on the Gallagher Retail Park. The new 30,000 sq ft store is the one-stop-shop for the products, expertise and inspiration customers need to fix, improve or transform their homes and gardens. The new store has created 30 jobs in the local area and includes four team members with over 30 years of experience at Homebase. All team members have been provided with externally accredited training, including City & Guilds gardening and kitchen design qualifications, to help customers create homes and gardens they love.


For those looking to


redecorate, the store features a Dulux Paint Desk, which offers a paint mixing service, and popular


brands including Homebase


Paint, Crown, Farrow & Ball, Laura Ashley, ELLE Decoration and Craig & Rose. Customers can also transform their kitchen units, tiles, flooring and radiators with the Maison Deco range. The interior trend that’s showing no signs of slowing down, wall panelling, can be taken away ready-made and helpful room sets show off the finished design and make it easy to find tips and


advice. There’s a wide range of tools and hardware to make any DIY task simple too. Customers will also find plenty of flooring and tiling options to complete any home project. There’s a variety of kitchen and Bathstore bathroom designs on show, including the exclusive House Beautiful and Country Living kitchens and House Beautiful bathroom furniture, and features high-quality appliances from brands including Bosch, Neff and Miele. Expert advice is on hand from Homebase’s team members who can turn customers’ design ideas into a reality through free design consultations, using Homebase’s state-of-the-art visualisation software. Homebase previously had a


store nearby, in Canley, which closed in 2020.


Kingfisher releases final results for the year ended 31 January 2022 Kingfisher


has released its


final financial results for year ending 31 January 2022. Highlights for the year include: a year of record revenue and profits; gaining market share in the UK and France; effective management of product


availability, supply


chain and inflation pressures; delivering against strategic priorities ahead of schedule; accelerating investments for growth – digital, trade proposition, Screwfix and Poland expansion; ambitious new target set for sales of sustainable home products; returning over £550m to shareholders,


including


dividends and ongoing £300m share buyback; and new trends in home improvement and continued strategy delivery support long-term growth. Thierry Garnier, Chief Executive


Officer, said: “Kingfisher has delivered a year of very strong financial performance. We saw growth in all banners and


4 DIY WEEK MARCH 2022


categories, with resilient demand from both DIY and DIFM/trade segments – each representing 50% of Group sales. We continue to leverage our stores assets and Group technology to drive forward our e-commerce proposition, with faster click & collect and home delivery, and broader product choices for our customers. 18% of our sales are now made online, which is ten percentage points higher than two years ago. B&Q had an outstanding year, with sales passing £4bn. It was also a record year of expansion for Screwfix, with 70 new stores opened in the UK and Ireland, and Screwfix France showing very promising early progress. “For the year ahead, while the


macroeconomic and geopolitical environment is uncertain, you can expect from us continued focus on top line delivery and market share growth, strong execution, effective management of our gross margin, and active and responsive management of our operating costs.


BHETA’s OWA Update generally positive for DIY and Garden


BHETA’s steering group focussing on the legitimate sale of products such as secateurs and drain cleaners which were included in the original draft of the forthcoming Offensive Weapons Act (OWA) received broadly good news from the publication of the revised guidelines document. The act is scheduled to come into force this spring – potentially April 6 – and BHETA has been lobbying alongside member companies since 2019 on the items covered by the legislation as originally conceived. While the new guidance still provides interpretation on selling


products to under 18s and online, and still includes knives used for the purpose of hobbies and trades, such as Stanley knives and snap-off cutters as well as gardening tools which ‘could commonly be described as a knife’, thanks to lobbying some significant exclusions have been achieved. These are garden and DIY products such as shears, secateurs, carpenter’s adzes, chisels, scissors and lawnmower blades. There are also positive developments regarding OWA’s impact on


corrosives. While products such as drain cleaners / unblockers, paint strippers, brick and patio cleaners, cleaning products and rust or limescale removers are still included, the Government has now published a list of the chemical ingredients and the concentration limits at which they fall within the definition of ‘corrosive product’. BHETA’s marketing manager, Steve Richardson explained the significance of this. “Looking at the table of concentration limits, it seems that many household brands in this sector who would previously have had to take costly labelling and packaging steps to comply with the new OWA, in fact fall below the threshold in terms of the strength of the product. We are therefore advising all suppliers and retailers of these and similar household and garden chemicals to check the details of product composition thoroughly before deciding what actions they need to take, if any.”


The Paint Shed’s store expansion continues into Inverness


Following a successful 2021, the UK’s most recommended independent paint


retailer,


The Paint Shed, has opened its 18th store, bringing a wide range of quality paint brands and supplies to Inverness.


The independent retailer stocks a wide selection of top paint brands,


specialist and designer paints,


and has an


including expert


team available to support the painting and decorating trade. The Inverness store has had mixing machines installed from all


the main manufacturers:


Dulux, Johnstone’s, Crown, Farrow & Ball and Jotun Demidekk.


Michael Rolland, Managing


Director of The Paint Shed, commented on the expansion into Inverness: “Historically, the city has only had the three main manufacturers in town and therefore decorators and retail customers alike have had to visit several stores to purchase their goods. The Paint Shed offers


local residents


decorators the opportunity to purchase everything they need in one place.


“It is also part of our growth www.diyweek.net


strategy to continue to open stores in locations where we believe customers can benefit from a better service.”


The Paint Shed, which is headquartered in Stirling, sells a wide range of branded trade paints,


designer paints and


accessories to independent painters and decorators and retail consumers via its website and through its network of stores across Scotland and the North of England. Customers can benefit


from a Click &


Collect service, as well as free local delivery from stores. The Paint Shed Inverness


and


is open at 21 Harbour Road, Inverness, IV1 1SY.


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