NEWS


Shed sales soar by 500% as homeworkers use them as offices


Before the pandemic little attention was paid towards external ‘social areas’ of the home. Today Toolstation reveals that sales of sheds and outdoor buildings up by almost 500%


are thanks


to homeworkers converting them to offices. Research by the brand shows that outdoor social spaces are now taking


areas of utility, with a recent Toolstation


fans of the “Shoffice”, an office in a shed, with sales of sheds up 466% from Jan-May compared to 2020.


precedence over customer


survey


revealing that a third of its customers have spent their time during the pandemic building an outdoor garden office or bar. Sales for Toolstation’s outdoor buildings category are up 500% between Jan-May compared to the same period in 2020, as more people than ever are investing money in creating new and fun spaces. The figures also reveal that homeowners are big


The ‘social spaces’ trend shows no sign of slowing down as we have now become a nation of avid DIYers, with 44% of DIYers revealing they had taken on more challenging or difficult DIY tasks during lockdown and 48% said their DIY skills had improved. Toolstation anticipates Brits will continue to invest disposable income on creating these spaces, as lockdown eases and people start reconnecting with friends and family this summer. Greg


Richardson, Head


of Marketing at Toolstation, comments: “It’s great to see the nation invest more disposable income on creating social spaces in and around the home. Not only does an


Homebase opens its first store in over six years


external ‘social space’ add a fun factor to your home, but buyers in today’s market will take more notice of these areas which increases their potential to add value to the overall


Leading decorating and DIY specialist to open new Fulham store


Homebase has opened its first brand-new store in Cheltenham. The opening marks a milestone moment for the home and garden experts, being the first new store to open in six years. Following the successful roll out of inspirational and on-trend small format stores, this new 36,591 sq ft store store located on Tewkesbury Road, puts inspiration front and centre with plenty of on-trend ideas and everything customers need for any home or garden project. The new store has created 29 jobs in the local area


and these 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. The store features a Dulux Paint Desk, which


offers a paint mixing service, and popular brands including Homebase Paint, Crown, Farrow & Ball, ELLE Decoration and Craig & Rose. Grant Anderson, Homebase Retail Director, commented: “I’m really proud that we’re returning to Cheltenham and our brilliant store team is ready to welcome customers old and new, bringing them the products, style and advice they need to complete any home or garden project. “This store looks completely different to those we’ve had in the town in the past – it’s designed to make shopping with us easier than ever. From clever QR codes that show customers how to recreate the look in their own homes to the helpful advice our team can offer, we’re ready to inspire the


6 DIY WEEK MAY 2021


A growing decorating and DIY specialist is continuing its expansion by opening a new store in Fulham North. Leyland SDM cut the ribbon on its latest store, on 373-375 North End Road SW6 1NP, on Monday 3 May. It is the fourth new Leyland SDM store to open in the last seven weeks following recent additions in Acton, Tooting and Cricklewood. Jonathan Jennings, Chief Executive of Leyland SDM, said: “We’re delighted to be opening this new store in Fulham North. It’s in a fantastic location and will be great news for both trade professionals and people carrying out DIY jobs in their homes. “We can’t wait to open the doors and show people the huge range of products Leyland SDM is known for. Everyone visiting can benefit from the expert DIY knowledge of our employees and first- class service, including home delivery if required. “This has been a busy period of growth for Leyland SDM. The new stores in Acton, Tooting and Cricklewood are already thriving and we’re also busy preparing to open in Greenford. “There will also be new stores to follow later in the year. We’re delighted to be serving the trade and home renovators in the capital.”


property. DIY doesn’t have to be difficult and no matter how big or small, we have the tools and many more products to help customers tackle their next project.”


Automation increases efficiency and capacity at A. Perry


Dulux Decorator Centre hits


sustainability milestone


Dulux Decorator Centre has successfully diverted more than half a million cans of paint away from landfill through its in-store recycling scheme. The initiative allows professional decorators to safely and simply dispose of cans of both solvent and water-based paint - helping them to protect the environment in the process. To-date over 670,000 cans have been recycled through the initiative, with uptake increasing between 10% and 15% year-on-year since it was established in 2015. The scheme’s growth has been driven by the rise in painting and


decorating professionals


who are committed to building and maintaining a sustainable business. Decorators can dispose of cans simply by taking them to a Dulux Decorator Centre or with a free collection on site if they are already receiving a delivery from the store.


A Perry Ltd, the UK supplier and manufacturer of hinges and ironmongery, will now be able to process orders more than four times quicker after investing seven figures in new automation technology. The £1.2m investment in picking


robots has been implemented to cope with the significant rise in demand seen by A. Perry in the first quarter of 2021; and enables the company to vastly reduce day-to-day operational costs and make more efficient use of floor space, allowing for future expansion of stock volume held on site and variety of products on offer without the need to relocate. The Cradley Heath-based firm worked with OW Robotics to install 15 fully automated robots and 330 moveable pods in its 5,000 sq ft warehouse. The installation took just six weeks to install, calibrate and set into action. Chris Perry, Operations Director


from A. Perry, said: “Due to our unique position in the marketplace


The Dulux Decorator Centre scheme is unique in that each returned can is attributed to the individual who returned it, which enables customers to receive an annual certificate showing what, and how much, they have recycled over the year. It also complies with the requirements and robust


standards set by


the environmental regulators, including the Environment Agency in England.


and significant investments within our supply chain, our stockholding has been considerably better than most of our direct competition, which has resulted in a substantial rise in demand. In the first quarter of 2021 we have seen a 60% increase in orders and to be able to efficiently facilitate these, this investment in automation has been essential to be able to keep on top of our customer’s expectations. “We have invested a significant


sum of money, but the automation drives our


business forward


and will enable us to remain the biggest, most innovative supplier in our field for years to come.”


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