NEWS
Jewson launches first purpose-built ‘Branch of the Future’ at Farnborough
Leading national builders’ merchant Jewson has opened the doors to its first purpose- built ‘Branch of the Future’, which it says will act as a “beacon of the very highest standards of merchanting”. At 1.3 acres, the Farnborough site houses an extended product range – around 20% more than the typical branch.
Opening hours have been extended, with the branch open from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and 7:30am to 12pm on a Saturday. An expansive fleet of delivery vehicles is available to meet customers’ delivery requirements, while the branch also offers drive-in collections with under-cover loading so customers and their materials– including treated timber – aren’t
Wickes Group trading update reports stronger growth in retail
exposed to the British weather. There is a selection of hot food and coffee available in branch, along with technology charging bays and modern meeting rooms for customers to use with their own customers – so it feels like the branch is their own. Featuring the new Jewson brand identity, the Farnborough branch makes it easier and quicker for small and medium builders, carpenters, roofers, landscapers and more to find the range they need for a whole job, with the product assortment positioned close together for efficiency, and providing customers with everything they need under one roof. Proud to partner the trades, the new Jewson Farnborough Branch of the Future presents
another significant milestone on its transformation journey to bring the UK’s hard-working professional tradespeople what they need to grow their own businesses and to become the leading builders’ merchant in the UK. As part of its parent company
STARK Building Materials UK’s ‘Trust in Better’ strategy, Jewson is implementing a comprehensive investment programme to optimise its branch network across the nation, including new
purpose-built distribution facilities like Farnborough and major refurbishment projects, such as Bridgwater, which reopened its doors earlier this year. Domi Scrivener, Branch Manager for Farnborough, said: “Customers are at the very heart of our business and our new purpose-built Branch of the Future here in Farnborough reflects that, acting as a beacon of the very highest standards of merchanting and offering everything customers could need to grow their business under one roof.
“This is a landmark moment for the business, and one which the entire Farnborough branch team is excited to play a part in. Our doors are open for business, and we look forward
Tapi ranked as the UK’s best-rated tile brand
In the third quarter of 2024 Wickes delivered stronger sales and volume growth in Retail1 with LFL sales up 4.2%. Despite challenging market conditions, our Design & Installation2 business is stabilising, with LFL sales decline slowing to 13.3%. Overall Group revenue increased by 2.1% compared to the prior year (an increase of 0.4% on a LFL sales basis). Retail sales delivered good
growth in Q3, demonstrating the continued strength of Wickes’ great value and service- led proposition. Market share growth has been particularly strong in Q3, driven by volume, with selling price deflation of around 2%. Trading in Q3 also benefitted from customers catching up on outdoor projects delayed by the wet weather during spring and early summer. We expect this pent-up demand to subside in Q4. Within Retail, TradePro continues to perform strongly, with sales up 16% year-on-year in the quarter.
4 DIY WEEK OCTOBER 2024
Salience Search Marketing’s annual online UK Tile sector report uncovers the industry’s leaders based on their online prominence visibility and highlights industry trends. The report analysed 11 crucial performance indicators, including year-on-year visibility, search volume trends, Trust Pilot reviews and brand awareness, for UK Tile brands to reveal the industry’s most successful names. A ‘score’ is calculated to determine each brand’s ranking by analysing its Trustpilot average star rating and the total number of reviews.
Tapi ranked as the best-rated online UK tile brand, with a high review score of 4.8 from over 72,000 reviews, the brand’s affordable, stylish, and high- quality carpets, vinyl, and flooring solutions are appreciated by customers. Walls And Floors, known for its vast selection of tiles and competitive prices, also has a 4.8 review score, from 40,696 reviews. Tile Mountain, known for its
affordable tiles and convenient online shopping, has a 4.7 review score from 34,860
Dulux celebrates 200th ‘Let’s Colour’ project completed
Dulux, the leading UK paint brand, is celebrating completing its 200th ‘Let’s Colour’ community project with social enterprise Volunteer It Yourself (‘VIY’). To mark the occasion, Dulux’s Senior Leadership Group, featuring many of the top leaders in the business across all functions in the UK and Ireland including the Management Team, joined forces with VIY as part of this landmark community project. They worked together to revitalise Winchmore Hill Sports Club and create safe, inclusive and welcoming changing rooms to grow their women and girls’ football teams. To further build on the milestone, AkzoNobel, Dulux’s
to being an integral part of the day-to-day lives of professional tradespeople and builders from the local community and the surrounding areas.” John Carter, CEO of STARK Building Materials UK, part of STARK Group – Europe’s leading distributor of building materials, said: “We’re on a journey to become the most trusted builders’ merchant for UK tradespeople, and with our new Branch of the Future concept, we have a brilliant opportunity to create something that we believe is truly unique and valuable, with the backing of the STARK Group.
“Our customers want and expect great service, and that happens from the moment they walk through the door.”
Flooring Supplies sees a
review score of 4.7 from over 19,000 reviews.
Flooring Superstore, Direct
Wood Flooring, and United Carpets And Beds, received a 4.5 review score from 18,991, 8,226, and 8,023, respectively, indicating customer satisfaction. With a 4.6 review score from
reviews, indicating a well- received service. UK Flooring Direct has a commendable review score of 4.6 from 29,823, indicating customer satisfaction with its competitive prices and swift delivery.
through valued partners, like VIY, and brands, like Dulux, in order to build stronger, more resilient communities by helping to add colour to people’s lives.
parent company, launched a new ‘Volunteering Through Partnership’ initiative which encourages colleagues from across the business to volunteer their time at least once per year. The initiative not only gives colleagues the time to volunteer in their teams, but also provides the materials needed to support community projects across the UK. Volunteering provides AkzoNobel the opportunity to give back to surrounding communities
VIY has been working with Dulux for over four years through Dulux’s ‘Let’s Colour’ initiative which is dedicated to bringing communities together through the power of paint by working closely with partner organisations. Since July 2020, this partnership has positively impacted communities, with over 120,000 lives positively impacted through transforming over 200+ community spaces using donated Dulux Trade paint. These projects have successfully supported and developed over 3,000 young people aged 14-24 through taking part. They have also helped train over 2,360 young people in painting and decorating, including over 2,000 City & Guilds accreditations earned with over half of these in painting and decorating.
5,593 reviews, Topps Tiles, known for its vast selection of high-quality tiles, innovative designs, and expert advice, is among the best- rated brands in the industry. Luxury Flooring And
Furnishings lands a spot in the 10 best-rated brands within the tile industry, with a 4.5 review score from 5,558 reviews.
AkzoNobel delivers
continued growth AkzoNoble has published its
Q3 financial results which show organic sales are up by one percent, which has been driven by volume growth, despite challenging market conditions, but revenue is down by three percent. Meantime the company’s operating income has also dropped to 259m euros, down from 354m in 2023. AkzoNobel CEO Greg Poux- Guillaume commented: “We continued to demonstrate our ability to grow in flat markets, achieving a fourth consecutive quarter of volume growth. Although operating costs were higher year-on-year, they’re down sequentially, while gross margin expansion continues.”
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