Page 56 - HW October 2020 NEW

global eyes
Poms value “home” but they’re not there yet...
It’s a given that the last six months fundamentally changed British attitudes towards their homes and indeed towards retail in general.
Now European DIY giant Kingfisher Group has published survey results that say 40% of UK consumers are now more motivated to do home improvement as a result of lockdown and that over half said they found DIY projects therapeutic during this time.
Almost 90% regard their home as
a “sanctuary” and almost the same number value the sense of security the home provides.
Despite this, only 11% said they currently lived in their “ideal” home, and almost half want to make changes to their living set-up.
Interestingly, in direct contrast to previous memes about young people having lost their DIY skills and interests, Kingfisher says it’s the18-24 year olds who have embraced DIY the most and plan to do more ambitious projects.
Plus almost half of them have learned some DIY skills as a result, which will
be welcome news indeed to the UK
DIY channel which will, at some stage, see the end of the current pandemic- induced boom time.
www.kingfisher.com
UK retail faces
“a Christmas like no other”
Ace Hardware looks
to Mexico
ACE HARDWARE INTERNATIONAL is looking to expand into Mexico, which
it says is the 11th largest economy in
the world based on Gross Domestic Product and has one of the highest home ownership rates.
The franchise program in Mexico will offer a variety of flexible store formats
ranging from 300-3,000m2 and will offer both Mexican and global brands.
Ace has enlisted Feher Consulting, headquartered in Mexico City, to serve as the company’s exclusive franchise representative and expects the first stores to open during 2021.
www.acehardware.com
THE PUNDITS AT analyst Retail Economics say that as many as 71% of UK shoppers will be put off shopping in-store as Christmas approaches because of the impact of Covid-19 and the restrictions that come with its management.
Over 55% of the punters polled say that they will instead shift their spending towards online.
Budget management is also likely to impact UK retail, pulling Christmas spending forward and leading to a “bumper” and even more disruptive Black Friday.
UK shoppers will also be looking to stretch their budgets, with more than 35% of UK shoppers expecting to cut back on
their festive spending.
What’s more, over 75% of British
shoppers will rely on earnings or savings to fund their Christmas spending this year, rather than take on debt or spread the cost.
Retail Economics Chief Executive, Richard Lim, says the 2020 Christmas trading period will be “a make or break moment” for many retailers already “in survival mode” thanks to the pandemic.
No surprises then that the retail winners this Christmas will be those who “offer the best online proposition and who have the capacity to cope with the levels of demand.”
www.retaileconomics.co.uk
54 NZHJ | OCTOBER 2020
MORE AT www.hardwarejournal.co.nz