All Home & DIY articles – Page 240

  • 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

    Ikea seeks 12 new stores in Spain

    2010-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Ikea will open its first store in the northern region of Galicia in July.The furniture and furnishings retailer has invested e60m (£52m) in the store on a 323,000 sq ft site and it will create 400 jobs.The Spanish press has reported that Ikea wants to open 12 new stores in ...

  • 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 ...

  • 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 ...

  • John Lewis sales rose a “healthy” 11.4% in the week to April 24
    News

    Fashion boosts John Lewis sales while Waitrose sparkles in the sun

    2010-04-30T09:04:00Z

    John Lewis sales rose a “healthy” 11.4% in the week to April 24, as its sister chain Waitrose achieved its highest sales growth of the year.

  • Argos_Romford.jpg
    News

    Home Retail pre-tax profits slip 11%

    2010-04-28T08:48:00Z

    Home Retail Group – owner of Argos and Homebase – has reported pre-tax profit down 11% to £293m and announced a share buy-back of £150m.

  • Carpetright like-for-likes in the UK & Ireland rose 1.5% in the 12 weeks to April 24
    News

    Carpetright sales below expectations as it warns of tough year ahead

    2010-04-28T08:47:00Z

    Carpetright like-for-likes in the UK & Ireland rose 1.5% in the 12 weeks to April 24, which was below internal expectations.

  • Retail sales up for the third consecutive month
    News

    Retail sales up for the third consecutive month

    2010-04-27T11:47:00Z

    Retail sales have grown for the third consecutive month with retailers expecting positive growth to continue in May, according to the CBI Distributive Trades Survey.

  • Christmas Hamper
    News

    Farepak customers to receive less than £50 each

    2010-04-27T10:08:00Z

    Customers who paid for Farepak hampers are expected to receive less than £50 each, after handling fees are paid.

  • RW Dunelm
    News

    Dunelm like-for-likes up 10%

    2010-04-27T09:01:00Z

    Dunelm has reported like-for-like sales up 10% in the 42 weeks to April 24, boosted by a positive response to its new shop fit.

  • Retailers including Argos have been ordered to fork out £20m to 2,000 people
    News

    Argos among retailers ordered to pay £20m over ‘toxic sofas’

    2010-04-26T16:34:00Z

    Retailers including Argos have been ordered to pay £20m to 2,000 people who suffered from chemical burns found in anti-fungal agents in sofas.

  • Bill Grimsey1
    News

    Bill Grimsey to become Focus chair

    2010-04-23T11:40:00Z

    Focus chief executive Bill Grimsey is to become chairman at the DIY chain with managing director Rob Gladwin taking over as chief executive.

  • Nick Worthington
    Analysis

    Nick Worthington: Dreams’ driven chief executive

    2010-04-23T00:00:00Z

    He may not have the profile of the retailer’s flamboyant founder Mike Clare, but Dreams’ chief executive has continued its strong growth despite the recession

  • Opinion

    In the cold seat

    2010-04-22T17:49:00Z

    The North Pole was an unlikely place to seal a deal to sell DFS.

  • DFS has been sold to Advent International
    News

    Private equity firm Advent International acquires DFS

    2010-04-22T11:27:00Z

    Sofas tycooon Lord Kirkham has sold his DFS chain to private equity firm Advent International for an undisclosed sum.

  • Dobbies
    News

    Dobbies reports record sales at £104m

    2010-04-21T09:28:00Z

    Tesco-owned garden centre retailer Dobbies recorded a 6.2% increase in like-for-like sales in the year to February.

  • David Quayle, right, with B&Q boss Euan Sutherland last year
    News

    B&Q co-founder David Quayle dies

    2010-04-16T10:48:00Z

    Kingfisher bosses have paid tribute to David Quayle, the co-founder and the ‘Q’ behind B&Q, who has died, aged 73.

  • Cargo
    News

    Cargo profits rocket after drive to cut costs

    2010-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Furniture retailer Cargo - which operates the Cargo and Homestyle fascias - more than tripled its pre-tax profits in the year to June 27, 2009, as it slashed costs and benefited from the buying power of its parent, Steinhoff.

  • Nicholas Marshall
    Opinion

    Banish cynicism – it’s sincerity we want

    2010-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Why do people think that running a garden centre is so jolly easy? The countryside is littered with examples of experienced entrepreneurs, many from the high street and DIY industry, having trodden the primrose path without realising they are heading to the compost heap rather than the Garden of Eden.