Wickes snaps up 13 Focus stores for £8.4m

The DIY chain, owned by Travis Perkins, spent £8.4m on the Focus shops.

Travis Perikns said the purchase will “extend the reach of the successful Wickes retail home improvement format”.

All 13 will be converted to Wickes, increasing its portfolio to 216 stores, before the end of 2011. Travis Perkins expects them to be earnings enhancing in 2012.

Travis Perkins chief executive Geoff Cooper said: “’The acquisition of these 13 stores, cherry-picked from over 100 potential locations, further expands our Wickes business and will help us to continue our gains in like-for-like and total market share.

“We welcome the colleagues in these stores into our group and look forward to these stores trading successfully in the Wickes format.”

B&Q owner Kingfisher has already acquired up to 31 stores from Focus, which collapsed earlier this month, as revealed by Retail-Week.com.

Simon Allport, joint administrator at administrators Ernst & Young, said: “We are delighted to secure a sale for these stores and to save the jobs of all 345 associated employees.  

“We continue to trade from all 178 Focus stores in the UK an are in detailed discussions with a number of interested parties to seek further sales across the store portfolio.

“Since the date of the Administrators’ appointment stores have been trading at record levels as we have been able to offer very competitive prices across the full product range.

“We are grateful to all the Group’s loyal customers, employees and suppliers for their continued support.”