Published: 03 May, 2012
MILTON KEYNES: Homebase, which has 341 stores, reported like-for-like sales down 2%, while operating profits dropped 50% to £22.8m in the year to February 25.
Sales of big ticket sales such as new kitchens and bathrooms were lower at Homebase, said owner, Home Retail Group.
Home Retail, which also owns Argos, has seen its shares plunge more than 50% in the last year. It’s pre-tax profits slid more than 60% to £90.2m in the period.
LEICESTER: BSS Industrial reports that its ‘Hire-It’ service is in high demand since the first counters opened in April. BSS is rolling out the second phase of the program.
UK: The latest Construction Trade Survey shows that during the second quarter of 2012 construction suffered another sharp fall across all parts of the industry including current workloads, new orders and tender prices, adding to the continuing woes and growing uncertainty for the UK economy as a whole.
N IRELAND: Acheson & Glover (A&G) recently welcomed BMF merchant members to its head quarters in Northern Ireland for a tour of its modern manufacturing plants in Toombe and nearby quarries.
LONDON: Pipe Center and Climate Center are to open a brand new branch in Surrey Quays with a big trade counter and the largest range of stock of its kind available in Central London.
SOUTH WEST: Local independent builders' merchant Rawle Gammon & Baker has expanded with the acquisition of two new branches in South West Cornwall and the opening of a Greenfield site in Exmouth. The new RGB branches are at Porthleven near Helston and Penzance, Cornwall.
Guest Blog by Paul HetheringtonThere has been a significant change in the supply and demand for building materials recently. The economic crisis has made us all tighten our belts, but for merchants, keeping their heads above water has meant stock control is under particular scrutiny.
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