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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Mar- 2021 -24 March
Wickes demerger to commence following FCA approval
Travis Perkins has “marked the next milestone” in the demerger of Wickes from the group after submitting a proposal of the move to the FCA for approval. Following approval, Wickes shares are set to be admitted to the premium listing segment of the FCA and admitted to trading on the…
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22 March
Kingfisher full-year profits soar amid DIY boom
Kingfisher has announced that pre-tax profit soared by 44.4% to £786m in the year ended 31 January 2021, following a surge in DIY spending amid the pandemic. Retail profit was up 27.4% in the year, which was largely driven by a strong B&Q performance, while total sales rose by 6.8%.…
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19 March
Halfords acquires Universal Tyre and Autocentres for £15m
Halfords has announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Universal Tyre and Autocentres (Universal) for a consideration of £15m. Universal operates out of 20 sites and 89 commercial vans operating in the South East and on the east coast of the UK with specialism in tyre services and general…
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15 March
Screwfix to open 50 new stores in UK and ROI
Screwfix has announced it plans to open more than 50 stores, creating around 600 new jobs in communities across the UK and the Republic of Ireland (ROI) by the end of January 2022. Of the new stores, 40 will be in the UK, creating up to 500 new jobs, with…
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9 March
Kingfisher to expand B&Q to Saudia Arabia
Kingfisher has announced that it has signed a franchise agreement with the Al-Futtaim Group to expand B&Q in the Middle East. The plan will involve the first B&Q franchised stores opening up in Saudi Arabia towards the end of the year, supported by an e-commerce proposition. The acquisition is part…
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Feb- 2021 -25 February
Ikea UK hit with £33m loss amid pandemic
Ikea UK has announced that total sales fell by £200m to £1.9bn in its full-year ended 31 August 2020, down from sales of £2.12bn reported in FY19. While the furniture giant decreased its costs by 3.4% to help shore up its finances, it still reported an overall loss impact of…
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16 February
Cox and Cox sees FY sales up 75%
Homeware retailer Cox and Cox has reported a “strong” Q4 that saw sales up 85.4% up on the previous year, rounding off another year of growth for the firm with sales up 74.5% for the full year. While exact sales figures were not given, in its latest trading update the…
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16 February
Dunelm deputy chair raises £192m from share sale
Dunelm has announced that Will Adderley, deputy chairman at the home furnishings retailer, has sold 15 million shares in the company, totalling £192m. Placed at 1,280 pence per share, the £192m sale represents 7.4% of the issued share capital of the firm. Adderley now directly holds 17.8% of Dunelm’s shares,…
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Jan- 2021 -29 January
Screwfix reaches £2bn in yearly sales
Omnichannel retailer Screwfix has surpassed £2bn in sales for the year to January 2021, creating thousands of new jobs in the process. The firm has also managed to open 30 new stores in the period, bringing its UK and Ireland portfolio to 725. The sales milestone represents a doubling in…
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15 January
Dunelm revenues up 11% despite store closures
Homeware retailer Dunelm has reported an 11.8% increase in revenues for the 13-week period ended 26 December 2020, despite having the majority of its stores closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Dunelm reported revenues of £360.4m during the period, which the retailer said reflected the fact that despite restrictions consumer demand…
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