Following the recent administration of Focus DIY, a further eleven of its stores have been sold to B&Q Retail, by administrator Ernst & Young. Discount retailer B&N has 230 stores nationwide, selling household textiles, electrical goods, housewares and décor products. It attracts over one million customers a week. The purchase [...]

Sink and tap supplier the 1810 Company has re-launched its website, to make it more informative and easy to use. It features all the company’s products, a downloadable brochure, log-in for trade prices and a marketing page for dealers, with connection to its Facebook and twitter account. E. Jones of [...]

I was always told that during polite conversation you’re not meant to discuss politics, religion or sex. But apparently, you can now add to that list, the suggestion that ‘peopIe don’t buy people they buy brands’. I made that ‘mistake’ in a recent blog on our website. I dared to [...]

Your background spans retailing and manufacturing….. As part of my university degree, I completed a thesis on retail location based on the possible expansion of my Dad’s showroom. When I finished university, he allowed me to put it into practice. So, I opened a showroom in Newcastle and we bought [...]

Business owners need to be aware of new legislation which sees a raft of important changes to the law, including increases in statutory sick pay, changes in tax rates and the end of most employers abilities to forcibly retire staff. The key legislative changes which business owners need to be [...]

I have heard that there is an anti-dumping tax on tiles imported from China. We are a bathroom retailer and import quite a lot of tiles. What is dumping and how will this tax affect us? Does it also affect sanitaryware? “Dumping” refers to products manufactured in one country and [...]

This month our professional panel offers advice on showroom design, tax on tile imports and recent changes to employment law. Does this answer your questions or do you need help with another issue? Whether it’s a business or product-related question, we know an expert who can help you.

Furniture component manufacturer Vauth-Sagel has introduced Premea Glassline, a basket range featuring a choice of plastic, glass, wood or stone side panels. Premea Glassline is available in the companys HSA tall cabinet pull-outs, DUSA storage cabinets, Baseliner base cabinets and also in its DSA side pull-outs. In addition, Premea Glassline [...]

Granite Transformations has introduced three Trend Prestige designs, which is engineered stone featuring a veining pattern. It includes Nero Marquis, a midnight black quartz, Cape Cod Green, and Fire Beige. There is no price premium for the Prestige collection, although extra material may be required for matching the pattern, as [...]

Adding to its offering, iglass has launched a range of coloured glass radiators. The range is available in seven standard sizes, in a choice of 26 colours with a polished aluminum surround. The radiators feature bi-directional valves to allow vertical or horizontal mounting and are designed for general use with [...]