NEWS


Alnwick building community gathers at launch of new Jewson branch


Builders, tradespeople and families recently came together to celebrate the launch of the new Jewson Alnwick


branch, with


celebrity appearances, food trucks, games and more. The grand opening saw former footballer Jimmy Bullard and darts champion James Wade hosting sporting challenges and a live Q&A, while a DJ, group of


Travis Perkins announces half year results Travis


Perkins


Highland cows, free street food, an ice cream van and free beer also kept guests entertained. The famous Dulux dog joined the celebrations, while local customers who placed orders on the day had the chance to win a series of prizes. Brennan Drylining Ltd took home tickets to the World Darts Championship at the iconic Alexandra Palace this Christmas; Coastal Plastering &


Roofing won hospitality tickets to watch Liverpool vs Newcastle at


Anfield; Nisbet Brickwork


secured a golf day at The Belfy, and PHD took home £1,000 in holiday vouchers.


The new purpose-built branch, at Lionheart Enterprise Park South, replaces the former site off Wagonway Road, creating four new jobs, and now offers 7,000 products and materials for


local builders and tradespeople. It offers customers a drive-


in


loading bay, an extended range of timber products stored undercover, a dedicated bathroom selection centre with plumbing specialists on hand, paint-mixing facilities and much more, offering tradespeople and builders everything they need for a single project under one roof. Plus, builders and tradespeople


Selco launches ‘Sorted’ campaign with sharper prices and bigger customer rewards


reported


improved profitability and a strengthened balance sheet for the first half of 2026, despite challenging conditions across the building materials market. Group revenue fell 1.8% to £2.26bn for the six months to 30 June, reflecting lower volumes and the previous disposal of Staircraft, partly offset by building materials price inflation. Adjusted operating


profit


increased 6.3% to £67m, while operating profit rose 10.2% to £65m. Profit after tax increased 15.4% to £30m. The group reported early


progress in improving profitability within its General Merchant business, supported by better recovery of price inflation, sales mix


and procurement gains.


Toolstation UK also delivered further revenue and margin growth, although trading in Benelux remained challenging. Cash


generation helped


Travis Perkins move to net cash before leases of £55m, compared with £103m net debt last year.


CEO Gavin Slark said the group was making “encouraging early progress” while strengthening its financial position ahead of a market recovery.


Selco Builders Warehouse has launched two major new initiatives, Sharp Prices and tradeREWARDS, following its largest-ever customer listening programme. Over the past 12 months, Selco has worked closely with customers to better understand the challenges they face every day, trialling a series of solutions across the country to identify those that would deliver the greatest benefit to the tradespeople it serves. The result is two initiatives developed in partnership with Selco’s customers and designed


Selco’s new Sorted campaign, reinforcing the business’s commitment to listening to the Trade and responding with tangible solutions that make a real difference. The research found that


to make life simpler for the Trade by reducing complexity, increasing trust and delivering greater value, allowing them more time to focus on running and growing their businesses. Built on genuine customer Sharp


insight, Prices and tradeREWARDS form part of


Homeowners warm to colour, but keep kitchen choices cautious


Homeowners are becoming more expressive in the way they want their kitchens to look, but most are still balancing individuality with caution and longevity, according to new research. The data shows a shift towards


warmer, softer and more natural kitchen styles. Wood and wood- effect cupboard doors have seen the strongest growth, rising from 8% in 2023 to 13% in 2026. Beige, cream and cashmere tones have also increased from 14% to 16%, making them the joint most desired door colours


alongside white. Cooler grey schemes, which have shaped kitchen design for much of the past decade, are losing ground. Light grey has fallen from 16% to 13%, while dark grey and metallic finishes have also declined. Meanwhile,


natural or


unfinished wood finishes have increased to 20%, suggesting homeowners are placing greater value on texture as well as colour. Granite and granite effect, as well as marble and marble effect, are the joint most desired worktop options at 16%,


followed by wood and wood effect at 15%. The findings are part of Häfele


UK’s latest Homes for Living report, which explores changing homeowner priorities and what they mean for kitchen retailers, designers and manufacturers. Häfele’s Homes for Living


report can be found at hafele. co.uk/homes-for-living


Werner makes a splash with speedboat giveaway at NMBS


A pair of lucky customers are preparing to make waves this summer after winning an original Fletcher speedboat in a major giveaway hosted by Werner,


manufacturer of ladders and access equipment.


The prize draw formed part of Werner’s biggest-ever presence at this year’s NMBS exhibition and saw Dean and


4 DIY WEEK AUGUST 2026 the leading


Jay McFadden of specialist tool distributor DJM Direct, based in Nelson, Lancashire, announced as the lucky recipients following two action-packed days at Coventry Building Society Arena.


was


The speedboat prize draw open


to placed orders


visitors over


who £500


with the Werner team during the exhibition, generating


excitement across the merchant sector and continuing the company’s tradition of memorable NMBS giveaways following


the


giveaway of a classic Ford Escort XR3i in 2022. Speaking of


the win,


McFadden said: “We’re absolutely over


successful Jay the moon to


have won the boat; it’s an amazing prize!”


www.diyweek.net


today’s tradespeople are under increasing pressure, with limited time, rising costs and complicated


making it harder to stay focused on the job. Through Sorted, Selco aims to remove as many of these challenges as possible, giving customers confidence that Selco is with them for every job.


buying journeys


Toolstation has partnered with eLocker to install 17 collection lockers outside its Toolstation GO store in Battersea, offering customers a faster, more convenient way to shop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


Once the order is made at


any time during business hours through www.Toolstation.com or through the Toolstation app, the customer is notified, and they can collect it with a code on their phone, whenever suits them best.


The eLocker format turns the click and collect option into a self-service option format that customers can run from the convenience of their mobile. The new option builds upon Toolstation


GO’s ambition


of delivering the ultimate in customer convenience since opening its store in Battersea earlier this year.


have access to a brew station serving free tea and coffee throughout the day.


Toolstation builds upon convenience with trial of 17 collection lockers


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