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© 2025 Datateam Business Media Ltd. DIY Week incorporates Decor Retailing, DIY Retail Leaders, DIY Superstore, Do-It- Yourself Retailing, Domestic Electrical Appliances, Excellence In Garden Retailing, Excellence In Woodcare Retailing, Excellence In Timber Retailing, Excellence In Tile Retailing, Garden Retail Leaders, Garden Retailing, Hardware Merchandiser, Hardware Trade Journal, Homecentre, Home Storage Retailing, The Ironmonger, Ironmongery & Hardware, Lighting, Martineau & Smith’s Monthly Circular, Mercantile Guardian, Superstore Management, Tools Retailing, and Wholesale Leaders. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from the publishers. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material published in DIY Week. However, Datateam Business Media Ltd will not be liable for any inaccuracies. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers. DIY Week is registered at Stationers’ Hall. ISSN 0954-8823. DIY Week is printed on environmentally friendly paper; both text paper and cover stock are elementary chlorine free and sourced from paper suppliers with a well planned environmental policy. This issue of DIYWeek includes some editorial photographs provided and paid for by suppliers. Printed by Buxton Press.
Founded in 1874 No 5,941 - October 2025
I
’ve just spent an interesting couple of days at our first DIY Week Live event held at the National Conference Centre (next to the National Motorcycle Museum) in Birmingham. The exhibitors put on a great display, which helped to make the show look very professional. It’s the perfect venue for this kind of event, with many of the exhibitors remarking on how easy it was to gain access and set-up their stands. It also has a nice friendly feel to it, which is often sadly missing from larger exhibition centres, that can often feel a bit daunting and sterile. Although footfall was lower than we had been hoping for, most of the exhibitors agreed that the visitors that came were genuinely interested and looking for new business opportunities. We pulled out all the stops to make everyone feel welcome, from free tea and coffee on arrival, to a complimentary three course lunch, free parking, and even a free shuttle service back and forth to Birmingham International Station, all of which was appreciated by both the customers
and visitors alike and reflected by the positive comments and feedback we received. Finding time to leave your business to visit a trade show is never easy, so we are thankful to all those who did make
the effort to attend, from both the supplier and visitor sides. In a climate where we keep hearing more news about AI taking over and online marketplaces being the future of retail, it made a refreshing change to meet with other like-minded business professionals from the same industry facing many similar challenges. It served as a great reminder that people still buy from people and face-to-face human interaction is still invaluable and an irreplaceable part of doing business. This is especially true of an industry like ours, which is really brought home in the first of our new series of ‘Retail Tales’
that chronicles three decades of the family run Hambleton Hardware & Electrical business in Hambleton, Lancashire (see page 22.) It’s a heartwarming story which I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading!
Neil Mead, Editorial Director In This Issue...
P4 / NEWS
The latest headlines and breaking news from across the home improvement and garden sectors
P11 / KITCHENS & BATHROOMS
The evolving landscape of kitchen design and key trends set to shape specifications and aesthetics in 2026
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Published by: P19 / HAND TOOLS & ACCESSORIES
Burgon & Ball has a new RHS-endorsed tool range that its says ‘marks a revolution’ in gardening tools
P25 / WEATHERPROOFING
UK homeowners want warmer, drier, less draughty homes which offers a number of DIY sales opportunities
THAT DELIVERS DURABILITY
With its unibody lightweight plastic design,
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