Focus (DIY)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Focus DIY | |
 |
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| Type | Light DIY & Gardening |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Crewe |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Decorating, tools, building materials, kitchen and bathrooms, lighting and electrical. Gardening, outdoor and indoor plants. |
| Website | http://www.focusdiy.co.uk/ |
Focus DIY is a privately owned chain of DIY stores in the UK. It serves the light DIY market sector, and most stores have some form of garden centre. Its main competitors are B&Q and Homebase. It is the third largest DIY retailer in the UK and in 2003 had a turnover of £1.6bn. The company has over 200 stores in the UK.
[edit] History
The company was founded in 1987 by Bill Archer and a former business partner and has since increased its market share with a mix of both acquisitions and organic growth.
Focus bought the Do It All DIY chain from Boots in 1998. Both chains were rebranded as "Focus Do It All". In 1999 following the takeover of Wickes, a DIY chain focused on building supplies, the group became know as Focus Wickes, although the two distinct retail formats and identities were retained.
Focus later purchased the Great Mills (DIY) chain from RMC in 2000. These stores were re-branded as Focus, except for some that became Wickes. Some Focus stores felt to be outside the company target areas were also converted to the Wickes format. A later move eventually saw all stores rebranded as "Focus for DIY and Gardening".Following these acquisitions Focus was the number two DIY retailer in the UK with over 400 stores split between the Focus and Wickes chains.
In a surprise move the Wickes business and stores were sold to Travis Perkins in 2005.
