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Presents a guide to the nine most dangerous store groups and their plans for housewares. Boots as Great Britain's biggest housewares retailer; Refinement of Curry's in-store cookshop concept; Concentrated effort of Homebase to get into the housewares market; Opening of The Home Place. INSET: Independents must exploit their strengths.

Highlights the 1998 Ambiente housewares show held in Frankfurt, Germany. Major launches at the exhibition; Cookware range launched by Tramontina; Prototypes unveiled by Prestige for its Truetensils range; Relaunching of the Topper can opener by William Levene; Color palettes for the season.

Focuses on the kitchen products that will be launched by leading cookware companies in the 21st Gourmet Products show in San Francisco, California in April 27-30 1998. Information about the kitchen products to be launched by Black and Decker's; Art deco electricals named `Opera' from Toastmaster; Do It All pan from Meyer; Petite Roti oblong roasters from All-Clad company; Melamime patioware maker from Zak Designs.

Presents the products that won recognition during the 1995 Housewares Industry Awards at the Grosvenor House in London, England. Includes Tefal Clipso pressure cooker; Hackman James Cook cookware; Addis Seal Tight foodsavers.

Focuses on the plasticware business in Great Britain. Increase in sales volume; Plasticware shopper's criteria in their choice of products; Importance of color, brand, quality and design of products; Pricing changes; Market growth.

The article focuses on Brennans Cookshop, a Cork City, Ireland-based kitchenware retailer. The company offers a huge collection of cookware, tableware and gadgets. Despite its success, the company is not resting on its laurels. It has even launched a cookery school to build customer loyalty and educate a new generation of customers.

Reports on the changes in the retailing approach of the cookware shop Ashbourne House in Derbyshire, England. Move of the shop into kitchenware; Recognition of owners Eldred and Stephanie Sayers by "Housewares"; Approach of the owners to cookshop retailing.

Features Abbott's Cookshop founded by Jim Abbott and Peter Jackson in Sheffield, England. Background on the shop's development; Opportunity for cookware business provided by Sheffield; Preparations made by Abbott and Jackson; Search for the location; Sources of information on how to run a cookshop; Store design; Product display; Key suppliers; Range of products.

Information on the British Home Enhancement Trades Association (BHETA) forum held in Solihull, England on January 23, 2013. Topics include the future plans of Amazon.com Inc., endurance testing, and importance of an intellectual property. The forum featured several speakers including Amazon senior category leader Ian Bradley, Tim Robins of Amstel Testing, and Laura Cohen of Good Housekeeping.

The article explores key events from 2007 to 2011 at retailer Focus before its closure. In 2007, Focus was acquired by Cerberus for 230 million British pounds and 27 stores were sold to Homebase. In 2009, Focus divulged plans for a Company Voluntary Arrangement to address its short-term financial situation. In 2010, Focus revealed plans to launch a smaller do-it-yourself convenience store format. In 2011, Focus defaulted on its credit facilities, and appointed Ernst & Young as administrators.

The article focuses on the aspects of the acquisition of Home Retail Group (HRG) by household hardware chain Bunnings. Topics discussed include the performance of HRG and Bunnings' compliance on due diligence, the HRG's failure to achive its growth considering fluctuation, sales, and profit, and the aspects of the strategies which are believed by Bunnings' to be effective in expanding the business in Great Britain.

The article focuses on the talk given by HSBC senior economist Mark Berrisford-Smith at the 2009 International Hardware Association Congress about the economy. Berrisford-Smith discussed the economic crisis of the past and how politicians and bankers addressed the situation. He believes that most of the G7 economies will show signs of growth in the third quarter of 2010. He added that unemployment is a crucial issue and is now at 2.5 million.

The article focuses on family-business Clower and Sons which has restructured the challenges in merchandising industry in Great Britain. The company has developed a useful joinery workshop made of coffins as part of its expensive skilled craftsmen. Robert Clower, managing director for Clower and Sons, stated that the business will serve self-employed tradesman, industry and businesses in the area as well as the local authority.

The article provides information on a trip to sandstone paving industry in India. According to Chris Harrop, marketing director at Marshalls PLC, he has become aware on the issue of child and forced labor in the Indian sandstone industry. Harrop says the problem is that India lacks the resource to implement the laws in remote areas against child labor. He adds that the answer to the problem is to improve the supply chain, tackle abuses on human and worker rights and improve worker conditions.

The article reports that the do-it-yourself (DIY) product categories such as sealants, lighting, and power tools are showing positive sales trends. It cites that new product development is driving growth in the sealants market, while lighting has been driven by higher average prices and sales volumes. It mentions that the average value of a power tool rose by almost 7%.

The article reports that Toolbank of Great Britain has decided to move its hardware wholesaling operation from the Hamshaw warehouse to its central warehouse in Halesowen in 2008. The move was finalized after Home Hardware South West left its warehouse in Halesowen and establish a new midlands base warehouse in Bedford. The next-day delivery service of Toolbank's hardware range in its new location will be available on September 1, 2008. Toolbank reportedly has a stake of 35% at Home Hardware Distribution, the distribution arm of Home Hardware SouthWest.

The article announces the recipients of the 2008 Industry Awards for the retail trade sector in Great Britain, which include Black & Decker, Bayer Garden and Master Lock.

The article reports that Mica UK, a hardware voluntary group, has opened its own warehouse. Mica's move into wholesaling was prompted by a worsening relationship between the group and Decco, which inherited the Mica contract when it bought the business from cash-and-carry wholesaler Stax. According to Mica managing director Belinda Barnard, the best option for Mica was to have its own distribution facility.

Focuses on Cheltenham Kitchener, a cookshop in England. History of company operations; Emphasis on giving variety of products for customers; Management schemes; Features of different departments for product display; Factors contributing on award of the shop as Cookshop and Housewares Association Retailer of the Year for 1999.

Highlights department store group Bentalls' shift to lifestyle concept in its merchandising. Re-opening of its store in Lakeside shopping center at Thurrock in Essex, England; Cookware, barware and tableware ranges; Emphasis on cross-merchandising according to consumer usage; Increase in like-for-like sales following the refit.

Features Inventory home appliance center in Leicester, England. Reasons for selecting Leicester as the store's new home; Description of the store; Products on sale.

Presents an interview with Paul Marchant, owner of a cookshop in Epsom, England. Love for kitchenware; Intensity of competition in the industry; Start of the business; Marketing principle; Favorite suppliers.

Discusses how British chain John Clair treated window display as a key component in selling housewares successfully. Use of color; Need to highlight just a handful of products rather than show the entire range; Exclusive limited-edition giftware designs for collectors; Display by brand with adjacencies well thought out to create themed areas.

Features Hertfordshire, England-based hardware and kitchenware retailer Maslens Sales Ltd.'s refit of its housewares department. Refit as a conclusion of a long-range project; Plan of refit; Goal of refit.

Features The Home Place, a store modelled on Bed Bath and Beyond in the United States managed by Mervyn Fogel. Management staff of the store; Stores which influenced The Home Place aside from Bed Bath and Beyond; Design of the store. INSET: The Home Place.

Provides information on the products featured at the 1997 Ambiente show in Frankfurt. Major innovation trend of the show; Trudeau's `Press `n' Stop,' paper towel holder; First cast aluminium cookware range promoted by Sitram; Other product lines featured at the fair.

Highlights the Gourmet Products Show 1996 held in San Francisco, California. Launching of Chili Red Alliance, a coordinated product range from four cookware manufacturers; Color coordination of products; Sitram's blue and green cookware; General Housewares Corp.'s Graniteware enamel-on-steel cookware.

Reports on the attractions at Ambiente, an exhibition of kitchenware in Frankfurt, Germany. Includes Newell's Pyrex Excellence; Kenwood's water filter jug; Frying pans from Sitram; Tefal's Resistal bakeware; Le Creuset's extensions to the Poteries Francaise range.

Reports on the opening of The Source housewares store in Thurrock in Essex, England. Features of the store; Design of departments; Display of ethnic cookware lines; Bakeware offered.

The article reports that AMA Research is expecting tools sales to have a steady growth from 2014 to 2017 due to the increasing trend for do it yourself (DIY) multiples which account one-third of the total tools sales made through internet.

The article reports that Companies House administrator announced that creditors to failed Liverpool hardware retailer Rapid Hardware will take a total loss to debts owed by the company. At its peak Rapid had sales of 18 million British pound annually but redevelopment of Renshaw Street where the business is located reduced its level of trade and access that led to the failure. Some of the unsecured creditors that will take the loss include Stax, Mark Two Distributors and Hilco Wholesale.

Information on the conference of the Home Hardware Scotland as part of its 30th year anniversary at the Airth Castle Hotel in Scotland on February 23-24, 2013 is presented. It mentions that Jim Ferguson, managing director of Home Hardware, open the conference by saying that it is his dream to work together as a large family. Alan Hawkins of British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA), one of the guest speakers of the conference gave an overview of the business economy of the high street.

The article reports that the garden center chain Squires has achieved substantial growth in 2012, according to the accounts filed at Companies House, United Kingdom Registrar of Companies.

The article highlights the results of the Garden Retail Leaders 2012 survey conducted by the journal "DIY Week," which showed that sales of two-thirds of top British garden retailers increased in their latest financial year. The survey's DIY Week index table revealed that Squires was Great Britain's top-performing garden retailer overall while Frosts led sales growth charge with a 30.6% increase in turnover. Double-digit sales increases were achieved by Dobbies, Chessington and Van Hege.

The article reports that London Evening Standard financial editor Anthony Hilton assured builders merchants at a June 2012 conference in Marbella that business conditions will get better as the property and construction markets recover from the recession.

The article focuses on the 2012 DIY Week survey on 30 retailers of power tool consumables and accessories in Great Britain, which shows that 73% reported better sales of accessories and consumables as compared in 2011.

The author discusses the trends in Great Britain's decorating market wherein he cites the recovery in volume of paint sales despite the decline of the housing industry, and the growing interest in wallpaper and woodcare products.

The author reflects on the growing services of garden centers in 2012.

The article highlights the state of garden center retailing in 2010-2011 with sales seeing an increase while gross margins fell 100 basis points to 48.6 percent according to an analysis from "DIY Week."

The author offers his views on the choice of location for the new DIY Express store format of Kingfisher.

The article reports on the opening of DIY Express, the first dedicated do-it-yourself (DIY) store of Screwfix, at Shepton Mallet on Somerset, South West England, as of March 2012. DIY Express will give out a 23-piece DIY tool kit to the first 100 customers and will offer all customers the chance to meet the Dulux dog. Screwfix has been recruiting staff for a second DIY Express to open at Hayes in Middlesex, England.

The author discusses the need for hardware and shop retailers not to rely too much on statistics that present only the big picture, and to look for data that offers the best indication of industry-specific market trends such as Kingfisher's quarterly reports on sales and trading.

The author discusses the weaknesses of the 2012 Totally DIY exhibition which was moved from London, England to Birmingham.

The author comments on a news item on the Web site of the British Broadcasting Corp. on January 23, 2012, which questioned the profitability of do-it-yourself companies at the Interiors UK fair in Birmingham, England.

The author opines that planning and budgeting for profit growth through better buying, cost control and constructive price engineering would be sensible as shown by B&Q UK.

In this article, the author focuses on the celebration of DIY Week Awards held on November 24, 2011 which aims to recognize the achievements and contributions of do-it-yourself (DIY) and garden retailers and suppliers to home improvement industry.

The article reports that the signing of a British distribution deal between epoxy adhesives provider Araldite and Velcro was finalized on November 24, 2011.

The author discusses the accomplishments over fifty years of wholesaler Home Hardware of Great Britain.

The author comments on a true story where a customer, after negotiating to purchase a television set, decided to postpone the purchase to do some more canvassing.