Arconic posts first results post-business separation
Revenue was largely flat across Q4 and full year (2016) for Arconic, year-on-year. Q4 revenue hit $3billion ($3bn Q4 2015) and the numbers were similarly static for the full year at $12.4 billion in 2016 and 2015. The quarter results were Arconic’s first since its separation of the business, with the move affecting the numbers significantly. […]
US cutting tool consumption drops in November
Cutting tool consumption in the US reached $168.69 million in November 2016. Representing a slight decline of 0.2% from October’s £168.99 million, the total was up 9.3% on November 2015. The year-to-date total hit $1.867 billion, representing a 5.7% fall compared with 2015. The statistics were put together by the US Cutting Tools Institute (USCTI) […]
Revenue rises to £2.51 billion for Selco owner Grafton
Selco’s Merchanting division has outperformed the UK market, resulting in revenue growth, the group has announced. For the year ended 31 December 2016, group revenue was up 13.4% to £2.51 billion (£2.21 billion in 2015) and 10.4% in constant currency. Merchanting (92% of Group Revenue) Revenue gains came from established branches and growth from new […]
Europe and America fuel Bossard sales record
Sales hit CHF 695 million (£562m) in fiscal year 2016 for Bossard Group, up 5.9%. Q4 2016 saw sales up a whopping 15.1% compared to the same period in 2015, at CHF 181.7 million. Europe (+8.2%) and America (+38.9%) were the star performing territories for Bossard, the latter thanks in part to the acquisition of […]
70% of UK builders hit by material price hikes
The depreciation of the pound has hit 70% of builders in the pocket, according to research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Increases in material prices thanks to the devaluation of the pound since summer 2016 has impacted on the cost of building projects and affected contingency funds. A quarter of all materials in […]
Over 45,000 sellers now using B2B-focused Amazon Business
Amazon Business is not yet officially available in the UK, where it is at the trial stage, but the business-to-business offering now has over 45,000 selling businesses using it to serve customers in the US. The numbers were revealed in an Amazon press release, noting 2016 milestones. Launched in April 2015, over a $1 billion […]
The Global DIY Market is now worth $563 billion
In 2015, the DIY/home improvement world market turnover reached €538 billion ($563 billion), an increase of 3% compared to 2014. The statistic is one of many from the latest fediyma (European Federation of DIY Manufacturers) ‘Global Home Improvement Report’, which reveals that the bulk of the DIY global market is concentrated on just two continents. […]
COMMENT: ‘UK wholesalers can expect increased competition in the near future’
It’s not just consumers heading online to make purchases, industries are too – but when it comes to business-to-business transactions, it is best practice to include a mix of approaches, argues Andy Mulcahy, Editor at online retail association IMRG… More and more of what we do is transferring online – or at least involves online […]
Makita is celebrating 45 years in the UK in 2017
Hot on the heels of opening a new training and service site in Scotland, Makita is celebrating its 45th anniversary of the establishment of its UK sales, training and distribution centre. In a period that has seen the sector transition from 100% mains to 60/40 in favour of cordless, Makita said it has had an unbroken […]
Warehousing employment grows in 2016
The UK’s distribution and warehousing sector was amongst those that saw growth in employment in 2016, according to UHY Hacker Young Chartered Accountants. ‘Warehousing activities’ was the fifth most buoyant sector among all UK industries in terms of employment, up 7.8%, from 295,000 in 2015 to 318,000. Manufacture of motor vehicles saw similar growth this […]