Wickes strengthens offer

Travis Perkins is the third-largest builders' merchant chain in the UK with 750 branches, and their acquisition of a leading DIY retailer is unique in the history of the UK market.
Richard Bird, Wickes managing director.
Wickes was never quite like other DIY retailers. Right from the start its customer base has been far more than just DIY – 65 per cent of its customers are builders or serious DIYers (similar to the customer base of a builders' merchant). Which means that the synergies with a builders' merchant chain should be considerable. It is to be expected that the new group will put forward a credible offer at the heavier end of the market.
But six months after the acquisition, how are things going?
After the separation from Focus (which serves the softer end of the market with 256 stores), Wickes was left with 172 stores distributed throughout the United Kingdom. They are around  2800 m² in size and have a tight range focused on fast-moving home improvement lines and building products. This formula differentiates them from other UK retailers, who tend to have larger stores and broader product offers. However, it is a formula which has served Wickes well over the years.
The current store portfolio includes five Wickes Extra outlets. At around 4 600 m² these are larger, which allows for a broader product selection and bigger showroom areas.
Five of the 172 outlets are larger-sized Wickes Extra stores.
Many aspects of the business are still being reviewed following the takeover, according to Wickes managing director Richard Bird, who now sits on the Travis Perkins executive committee. “Our overall approach is to strengthen the proposition, not change it,” he says. “Travis Perkins is keen to invest in this business, viewing it as a growth driver. We intend to open three new Wickes Extra stores by the end of the year, and by 2008, when we will have 200 stores, a third of the entire portfolio could be in the Wickes Extra format.”
Wickes' position is at the heavy end of the DIY market.
The existing Wickes Extra stores are in Barking, Maidstone, Southampton, Taunton and Glasgow, all except the last in the south of England. This year's new openings will be in Aylesbury, Kettering and Swansea (central England and Wales).
Building products represent a key category and an interface with Travis Perkins.
It is intended to use the Wickes Extra format to leverage the strengths of the standard categories. So the Extra stores have more shops- within-shops, such as flooring…