DIY
DIY covers the latest business developments and trends across the UK home improvement and hardware retail sector. This section reports on trading performance, consumer demand, sustainability initiatives, and supply chain management among leading DIY and home retail brands. Retail Sector’s DIY coverage provides insight into how retailers are adapting to shifts in housing, lifestyle, and economic conditions — offering practical analysis for executives, suppliers, and category managers shaping strategy and operations in this competitive market.
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Feb- 2024 -27 February
Victorian Plumbing FY24 EBITDA in line with expectations
Bathroom retailer Victorian Plumbing expects to deliver full-year adjusted EBITDA in line with market expectations, as an increase in own brand product sales improved the group’s gross margins. During the first 21 weeks of FY24, the retailer saw that customers continued to seek value by purchasing more own brand products,…
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14 February
Dunelm H1 sales rise 4.5% to £872m
Homeware retailer Dunelm has revealed that sales grew by 4.5% to £872m in the 26 weeks to 30 December 2023, as its active customer base also rose 4.2% during the period alongside an uptick in transaction frequency. The retailer attributed its healthy performance in H1 2023 to its continued digital…
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7 February
First cohort of Wickes bathroom apprentices set to graduate
Wickes has announced that the first cohort of students enrolled in its bathroom installation apprenticeship – the first of its kind in the UK – are set to graduate in under a year’s time. The apprenticeship was launched following the success of the retailer’s kitchen installation apprenticeship. Running over 18…
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1 February
Ikea UK turnover hits £2.5bn as profits double in FY23
Ikea UK has seen turnover hit £2.46bn in FY23, with total sales up by 11.9%, as operating profits almost doubled from £49.6m to £111.2m. Trade was particularly boosted by click and collect purchases, which soared by 48% over the period. In addition, there were one million new visits to IKEA…
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Jan- 2024 -19 January
DFS downgrades sales guidance for FY24
DFS has downgraded its sales guidance for the year, after reporting that gross sales dropped 5.6% year-on-year during the 26 weeks ended 24 December 2023. The sofa retailer has attributed its muted performance to “the record hot weather in September and early October when footfall and demand proved to be…
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19 January
Wickes to provide flexible hours for store management roles
Following a six month pilot across 14 stores, Wickes is set to make all store management roles open to flexible working. It comes as the retailer partnered with Timewise to undertake research on the roles of store managers, operations managers and duty managers to understand the barriers to “design, trial…
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18 January
Dunelm sees sales rise to £872m in H1
Dunelm has reported strong sales growth in the first half of the year, with total sales increasing by 4.5% to £872m for the 26-week period ended 30 December 2023. It also recorded continued sales growth in Q2 in a challenging market, with total sales increasing by 1.0%. Its gross margin…
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4 January
Topps Tiles first quarter LFL sales slip to 7.1%
Topps Tiles has reported that in the 13 weeks to 30 December, like-for-like sales were down 7.1%, continuing the trend seen in the first eight weeks, with sales to trade customers “more resilient” than those to homeowners. According to Topps Tiles, trading in the first quarter reflected the “ongoing challenges…
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Dec- 2023 -22 December
ScS shareholders approve £99m Poltronesofà deal
ScS has announced that its shareholders have voted in favour of the group’s £99m takeover by Italian firm, Poltronesofà. At a general meeting this week, shareholders approved all resolutions regarding the deal, allowing the move to proceed. In October, ScS and Cerezzola Limited, a newly incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary of Poltronesofà,…
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14 December
Piglet in Bed opens first store in Harrogate
The British bedding and lifestyle brand, Piglet in Bed, has opened its first store in Harrogate this December. The retailer, which is known for its 100% linen bedding and other natural homewares, has been running as an ecommerce-only business since it was founded in West Sussex in 2017. The store…
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