DIY stores urged to build brands

DIY retailers must strengthen their own-label goods as the market becomes more competitive, according to a new report from Verdict Research.

“The most successful retailers are those that have developed their business as a brand in its own right,” says Verdict retail analyst Richard Perks.

The report, Verdict On DIY Retailers 1995, cites Wickes and Homebase as being successful at developing own-brands.

B&Q’s format for its Supercentres, designed in-house, is “the best new DIY store design we have seen. But it is at a disadvantage because of its refusal to develop own-brand ranges,” says the report.

B&Q’s policy on extending its own-brand label is “strictly confidential”, says a spokeswoman for the nationwide chain.