NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF


n Sales of houseplants at garden centres across the country bloomed in July according to the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade report. Compared with the same month in 2019, sales were up 81.82%. n Organisers of PATS Sandown have announced the show will be moving to a new date in 2021. The two-day pet industry exhibition will now be held on Tuesday 11 May and Wednesday 12 May, again at Sandown Park, Surrey. n The bedroom furniture market has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, AMA Research have noted commonalities with most other consumer durables markets where a decrease in sales has been prominent and initial forecasts indicate a decline in market size by 22% in 2020. n Directors at Tong Garden Centre


have applied to


Leeds City Council for the erection of a garden centre at the Acanthus Golf Centre, Tingley. n The recently released ONS construction output data showing the increase in private repair and maintenance


work by


35.6% in the three months to August has been a welcome boost for British builders, but uncertainty remains for the wider construction industry, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). n The Greenfingers Charity welcomes support


from


all corners of the garden retail sector, with many retailers


pulling together


and suppliers to help


raise much needed funds. One such supplier is Evergreen Garden Care, which has once again dug deep to help Greenfingers build even more treasured garden spaces at children’s hospices across the country.


Dulux Academy enhances range of colour training with new online ColourFutures workshop


Dulux Academy has expanded the opportunities for decorators to upskill - by introducing a new Dulux Academy Live colour workshop dedicated to the 2021 ColourFutures palettes. The workshop builds on Dulux Academy’s commitment to provide the trade with the skills and expertise to engage customers confidently in conversations around colour. The online ColourFutures workshop explores how Dulux Colour Of The Year Brave Ground was chosen and how it can be used with its four supporting palettes across every industry sector.


As part of the new Dulux Academy Live, each session is delivered virtually in an engaging


and informative way, lasting around 45-60 minutes. Vickie Mather, Dulux Academy Lead, said: “We’re delighted to unveil our new Dulux Academy Live ColourFutures workshops. “Our Dulux Academy colour expert Nicola Holmes will guide participants through the process of how the Colour of the Year and supporting palettes were chosen and how best to use them. “Decorators will leave with


“Bakeware Boom is the New Normal,” says What More UK


analysis: “We knew that more and more people are interested in home cooking, but the lockdown restrictions have accelerated the trend. Back in April the focus was on the bakeware, but now we’re seeing a wider interest covering our entire range of bakeware and kitchenware products.


Housewares manufacturer What More UK has reported continued growth in bakeware and kitchenware sales, and lockdown is thought to be the raising agent. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic What More announced a large increase in sales of its bakeware products. At the time company bosses attributed the positive figures to the lockdown restrictions, but as the country has gone back to work sales of kitchenware products have continued to grow at an increasing rate. What More company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE gave his


“Home baking is something you can do with your family. It’s a shared activity and that’s important during these times of social distancing, isolation, and loneliness. Homemade food brings people together, it makes families closer. Perhaps we’ll see a return to the traditional family values of sitting round the dinner table with a home cooked meal.” What More UK isn’t the only organisation to have noticed the trend. A recent national survey conducted by Britainlovesbaking. com has revealed that 71% of us are now baking more than once a week compared with just 31% before lockdown.


Toolstation boosts financial resilience of colleagues


Toolstation, one of the UK’s fastest growing retailers of tools, accessories and supplies to the trade and homeowners, has launched earned wage access (also known as Income Streaming) from Wagestream to boost the financial resilience of staff. The company’s colleagues will be able to access their earned pay in real time when they face


4 DIY WEEK OCTOBER 2020


with earned wage access from Wagestream unexpected expenses. Access to the Wagestream platform will also allow them to track their pay and take advantage of Safestream — a micro-savings tool that collects regular, small sums straight from pay packets. In


addition, colleagues will have access to a range of financial education tools provided by Wagestream in conjunction with The Money Advice Service,


all the tools and knowledge they require to expertly advise both domestic and commercial customers. We’re dedicated to helping upskill professionals and provide them with new skills that can really help them drive business growth - and now this can be done from the comfort of their own home.” This year’s 2021 ColourFutures palettes consist of Earth which echoes the tones of the sea, sky and soil, Trust where earth tones combine to create a sense of harmony, Timeless which features energizing ochres and yellows and Expressive, where stand-out pinks and reds are balanced with soft neutrals.


n For more information visit: www.duluxacademy.co.uk


Kingston set to welcome new Leyland DIY store


Leyland SDM, which has 23 stores in London, is due to open the doors at the former Topps Tiles shop on London Road on Saturday, November 14. The move will see Leyland SDM, which has until now traditionally opened stores on high streets in the capital, further widen its network. The store will be open to both trade professionals and the general public, with a whole range of household DIY, painting, decorating tools and materials on offer. As part of


its opening celebrations,


community groups and charities in Kingston are being invited to submit applications to win £500 worth of Leyland SDM credit to provide support to a project. Paul Gerreli, Marketing Director at Leyland SDM, said: “We are thrilled to be opening in Kingston and it’s exciting to take our popular offering into a new area.”


@BuildbaseUK


Do you know how to repair #plasterboard or how you should dispose of it when you are done? Find out all this and more in our new blog post: https://buff.ly/31x0Smc #MondayMotivaton #Reuse #Replace


Draper reveals Britain’s feared DIY jobs


including webinars that teach staff how to look after their money and an online resource hub that identifies what information and entitlements are relevant to them.


Two thirds of adults have a DIY job they’re too scared to do - with wall-mounting a TV, putting up a shelf and replacing a tap among the most fear inducing tasks. Researchers who polled 2,000 UK consumers found the average person has four DIY jobs they’re actively putting off. Having not done the task before is the most common reason for the apprehension - followed by concerns they’ll make the problem worse and not having the right tools.


Commissioned by Draper Tools, the


research also found the mere thought of doing DIY would cause 71 per cent of adults to break out in a sweat.


www.diyweek.net


TWITTER TRADE TALK


@Bent sGa rdenHome #freeschoolmeals We don’t want any child to go hungry during this half term, and we would like to step in and help where we can by donating hot dishes each day.


Please email howcanwehelp@bents.co.uk for more details! From our family to yours... #endchildpoverty #MarcusRashford


@bmstores Self care is ok. Going to B&M at least three times a week is ok. Browsing the B&M app in bed is ok. Being obsessed with B&M is ok. You are amazing. Live your life.


@PagesDIY Our


Port Talbot Hardware store will DIY / remain


OPEN during the Welsh #Firebreak #lockdown in line with Welsh Government guidelines.


Department store open daily Mon-Sat. Telephone 01639 884076


E-mail symbol mail@ pagesdiy.co.uk Delivery truck free local delivery available throughout our local area


@RAINYDAYTRUST #Covid19 has made qualifications even more important. We work with @WCoBM


to deliver


#apprenticeship and #training


courses to


#buildersmerchant staff. Don’t get left behind. E-mail bryan@rainydaytrust.org.uk #training #charity #buildacareerwithoutlimits


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