All Home & DIY articles – Page 227

  • Topps Tiles adjusted profit before tax and discontinued operations fell from £8.7m to £7.8m
    News

    Topps Tiles profit falls in first half

    2010-06-02T08:36:00Z

    Topps Tiles adjusted profit before tax and discontinued operations fell from £8.7m to £7.8m in the 27 weeks to April 3 as consumer confidence remains subdued.

  • Sunglasses and sandals sold well at John Lewis stores last week
    News

    Demand for warm weather product lifts John Lewis sales

    2010-05-28T07:37:00Z

    Warm weather helped increase sales at department store chain John Lewis and grocery stablemate Waitrose last week.

  • Kingfisher B&Q
    News

    Kingfisher and Topps Tiles updates won’t lift home sector gloom

    2010-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Updates from Kingfisher and Topps Tiles next week are expected to paint a subdued picture of the home sector’s performance.

  • KutchenHaus.jpg
    News

    Kütchenhaus steps up expansion trail

    2010-05-28T00:00:00Z

    German kitchen specialist Kütchenhaus is on the expansion trail with plans to open up to seven stores in the next 12 months.

  • Topps Tiles
    News

    Topps Tiles invests in ads and website

    2010-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Topps Tiles has made a “substantial investment” to bolster its marketing presence, revamping its website and resuming TV advertising after dropping it during the downturn.

  • Lord kirkham cutout
    Opinion

    Who said anything about retiring?

    2010-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Selling DFS might have been a surprise, but there’s plenty more to do yet, says Lord Kirkham

  • Peter Ruis 2
    News

    Peter Ruis appointed buying and brand director at John Lewis

    2010-05-27T10:35:00Z

    John Lewis buying director of fashion Peter Ruis has been promoted to buying and brand director.

  • News

    Woolworths aquires hardware businesses

    2010-05-26T16:58:00Z

    Woolworths has acquired Gunns Retail Division in Tasmania and, in a separate arrangement, the Becks Timber & Hardware business.The Gunns acquisition includes five hardware stores in Tasmania, one timber joinery centre, one truss manufacturing plant and a support office.The move is part of the joint venture between Woolworths and US ...

  • News

    No rush to sell PPR retail operations

    2010-05-26T16:53:00Z

    According to chief executive François-Henri Pinault, PPR isn’t in a hurry to sell off its retail operations — entertainment and electronics retailer Fnac, household goods retailer Conforama and mail order specialist Redcats.He said: “I will take the time that is necessary to sell off our operations at good conditions.” When ...

  • TKMAXX HighStreetKen
    News

    TJX Europe reports 1% rise in first quarter like-for-likes

    2010-05-25T10:51:00Z

    TJX Europe, the company which operates off-price fashion chain TK Maxx in the UK, said that like-for-like sales rose 1% in the first quarter to May 1.

  • Online sales up 13% in April
    News

    Online sales up 13% in April

    2010-05-21T10:52:00Z

    Online sales in April rose 13% to £4.4bn according to figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

  • Life_and_Style_Carmarthen.jpg
    News

    Ethel Austin reborn as Life & Style

    2010-05-19T09:00:00Z

    Elaine McPherson, the former owner of Ethel Austin, has secured an injection of funds to launch fashion and homewares chain Life & Style, born from the ashes of the value chain which she rescued from administration for a second time in March.

  • Screwfix will change trading hours on England match days during the World Cup
    News

    Screwfix adopts ‘British Football Time’ opening hours during World Cup

    2010-05-18T10:40:00Z

    Screwfix, the Kingfisher-owned trade DIY chain, will switch its trading hours to “British Football Time” for England matches during the World Cup.

  • Inflation hit 3.7% in April
    News

    Inflation hits 3.7% in April

    2010-05-18T10:10:00Z

    Consumer price inflation (CPI) rose in the year to April to 3.7%, according to the Office for National Statistics.

  • Wickes’ core products declined 5.1%
    News

    Wickes like-for-likes dip as consumers remain ‘wary’

    2010-05-17T08:56:00Z

    Wickes owner Travis Perkins reported a 1.7% like-for-like decline in its retail business in the 17 weeks to May 1 as “wary consumers hold on to their money”.

  • Lombok
    News

    New owner looks to exit Lombok after 10 months

    2010-05-14T00:00:00Z

    Furniture chain Lombok’s owner, private equity firm Privet Capital, is seeking to exit the business less than 10 months after it bought it.

  • News

    Ikea postpones Ukraine expansion plan

    2010-05-12T16:42:00Z

    Ikea has postponed a plan to build a network of stores in Ukraine.Oksana Belaichuk, Ikea’s public relations director for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, said: “The leadership of the Ikea group of companies has decided to suspend the search for new land plots and temporarily postpone the plan ...

  • VAT.jpg
    News

    April retail sales hit by early Easter and pre-election jitters

    2010-05-11T08:55:00Z

    Retail sales fell 0.2% in April, 2.3% on a like-for-like basis, with sales for the month impacted by an early Easter.

  • News

    Ronato focus on growing market share

    2010-05-07T00:00:00Z

    During 2010 and 2011, home improvement retailer Rona plans to focus primarily on growing its market share in Ontario and Western Canada while reinforcing its strong position in Quebec.The retailer expects to grow its share of the Canadian home improvement market from 17% to 20% by the end of 2011.By ...

  • News

    Praktiker sales drop 6%

    2010-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Praktiker, the DIY group, has reported a 6% drop in sales to €747.9m (£651.2m) in the first quarter of 2010, due to prolonged winter weather and persistent economic weakness in Eastern Europe.Net losses were €37.5m (£32.6m), steeper than the €36.8m (£32m) loss for the same period a year ago. January ...