NEWS B&Q to buy five Homebase stores in the UK
B&Q has announced that it has reached agreement to acquire five leasehold stores in the UK, currently trading as Homebase, for a total purchase price of £2.5m. This follows the agreement to buy three stores currently trading as Homebase in the Republic of Ireland announced on 24 December 2024, and further complements and strengthens B&Q’s existing network of stores.
Following conversion to the B&Q banner, the five UK stores will have a combined total selling area of over 25,000 square metres and enable more
DIY Week Awards 2025 – Entries now open!
AWARDS 2025 DIY
The DIY Week Awards the leading scheme for the recognition of excellence from across the DIY, home improvement and garden sector, is back for 2025 and the entries are now open. Don’t miss your chance to enter these prestigious industry awards and have your product and hard work recognised and rewarded, get your entry in today! The entry deadline is 28th February. We’ve already received a large number of top quality entries in all categories, so as usual the independent judging panels are sure to have their work cut out shortlisting the entries and deciding the winners.
Since 2011, the scheme has been honouring forward-thinking companies, innovative products and inspirational people. Over the course of its tenure, a DIY Week Award has come to represent a distinguished seal of industry approval and the ceremony itself is a key date on the calendar of every industry professional. The DIY Week Awards has evolved year on year to ensure that it is representative of the varied and vibrant industry that it serves, with the categories being expertly curated to reflect all With 2025 marking the DIY Week Awards’ 14th year anniversary, the event is set to be bigger and better than ever before – so there’s never been a better time than now to get involved. For more details and to enter the awards, visit https://
diyweekawards.co.uk/enter.
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customers to benefit from B&Q’s and TradePoint’s extensive offer of home improvement products and services, helping to make home improvement projects and trade jobs easier. This includes Kingfisher own exclusive brands, and B&Q’s leading customer propositions: kitchen and bathroom design and installations, TradePoint counters, timber cutting and paint mixing, access to an extended range of over 1.2 million home improvement products at diy. com, and click & collect and home and bulk delivery services at
diy.com and
trade-point.co.uk. The five leasehold stores currently trading as Homebase
and being purchased by B&Q Limited in the UK are: Altrincham, Basingstoke, Biggleswade, Leamington Spa and Worcester. On completion of the lease assignment, the employees at the stores will become employees of B&Q. Graham Bell, CEO, B&Q, said:
“We’re delighted to be buying these five stores, bringing a total of eight additional sites to our fantastic store network in the UK and Ireland. We’re determined to give home improvers the choice and convenience they deserve, and to transform the home improvement stores in these locations to fulfil that need.”
AkzoNobel announces €22 million investment in France
AkzoNobel has presented a plan to its employee representatives and employees in France that includes a €22 million investment to establish the Montataire site as a flagship for decorative paint production. This initiative reflects the company’s long-term commitment to industrial excellence and to its operations in France.
These measures are designed to rationalise, modernise, and optimise AkzoNobel’s operations, ensuring long-term success while maintaining its strong presence in France. The proposed plan focuses on streamlining operations. This will enhance competitiveness and drive sustainable growth. The company also plans
to reorganise its commercial and support function and its
distribution network, including the transfer of some outlets to independent partners and some closures.
As a result of these operational changes, a reduction of up to 211 positions and the creation of 29 jobs is anticipated in France. The plan would be progressively implemented from May 2025 to the end of 2026. The consultation procedures for these plans have started with
Valspar launches ‘BetterTub’ recycling initiative to reduce plastic waste
Valspar has launched a premium paint tub that provides a greener way to decorate the home, containing
at least 40% recycled plastic. In collaboration with Valspar’s UK packaging partner, Berry Global, the paint and interiors brand has introduced the ‘BetterTub’. This innovative packaging utilises the ‘Berry Global CleanStream®’ recycling process, which is a closed-loop system that transforms household polypropylene waste into high- quality packaging. This gr approach goes beyond traditional mechanical recycling methods. It involves carefully
washing, sorting, and separating plastic waste before it is recycled and repurposed. The result is a recycled plastic that is lower in carbon but higher in purity and quality, making it ideal for the Valspar Premium range products. The tubs will be clearly identified with a ‘BetterTub’ logo on paint cans, meaning that at least 40% of the plastic in the tub has gone through this advanced recycling process and comes from UK households.
In addition to this, Valspar has Kingfisher announces sale of Brico Dépôt Romania
Kingfisher plc has announced, following a competitive process, the sale of its Brico Dépôt Romania business to Altex Romania for an enterprise value of €70m 1 (equivalent to £58m2). The sale comprises the entire Brico Dépôt Romania business, including its network of 31 stores in 24 cities, distribution operations, and head office in
Bucharest. The sale is expected to complete during the first half of FY 2025/26, subject to regulatory approval.
Thierry Garnier, Kingfisher CEO, said: “We are pleased to have found an experienced and successful local buyer for Brico Dépôt Romania. This decision enables us to have greater strategic focus on markets and growth initiatives where we are
most strongly positioned to deliver attractive returns and create shareholder value.
“I would like to thank all Brico Dépôt Romania colleagues for their commitment and customer focus over the years. Following strong interest, the outcome of the sale process is testament to
local social partners.
In 2024, AkzoNobel as part of its Industrial Excellence program already announced the closure of its manufacturing sites in Groot- Ammers (the Netherlands), Cork (Ireland) and Lusaka (Zambia). Production from these sites has been transferred to other locations in the region. The company currently has 1,300 employees in France.
also pledged to continuously increase the percentage of recycled plastic in its tubs in the future, to create even greener products.
Lucy Steele, Senior Brand Manager at Valspar, said: “When you choose products from the Valspar Premium range, you make a better choice not just for your interiors but for the planet as well. So, next time you place your plastic bottles or cartons into your recycling bin at home, remember that you could be contributing to the production of a new Valspar paint tub. How brilliant is that?”
For more information, please visit
www.valsparpaint.co.uk/ bettertub
the progress the team has made in strengthening the foundations of the business.”
Kingfisher first entered the Romanian market in 2013, when it acquired Bricostore Romania from French retail business Group Bresson. It expanded its store network in the country through the acquisition of Praktiker Romania in 2017.
This transaction has no impact on Kingfisher’s Brico Dépôt banners in France, Spain and Portugal.
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