Global home improvement at a glance

Conferences thrive on networking, and this is especially true of the Global DIY Summit. This is because its organisers, the international associations Edra/Ghin and Hima with their general secretaries John Herbert and Ralf Rahmede at the helm, have taken this global industry gathering specifically and consistently in precisely this direction.Because the Global DIY Summit, just like all other sector events, was unable to take place, Edra/Ghin and Hima have instead got a remarkable replacement programme up and running on the Internet featuring high-calibre speakers. In the latest issue of DIY International, we document the presentations moderated by Ken Hughes along with the video interviews conducted by John Herbert under the heading of "Meet the CEO".Declan Ronayne, Woodie's DIY

"We are very colleague-centric": this statement regarding the Irish chain Woodie's was the central theme of the interview conducted by John Herbert with Declan Ronayne. The Edra general secretary asked the CEO of Woodie's a variety of questions, including one about the "Woscars", the Woodie's Oscars, which are awarded to employees once a year at a major function. The CEO was also asked about the company's involvement with the "Great Place to Work" initiative. The number one target set by Ronayne for his store managers is no longer sales, but a good "engagement level of our colleagues".
The effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Woodie's were similar to those on most other DIY store operators in Europe and worldwide. When stores opened again on 18 May 2020 after a forced seven-week closure, like-for-like sales rocketed by 153 per cent in the second half of May. In June, the increase in sales was 61 per cent, and in the four months to the end of October it was 41 per cent. Ronayne expects the high level of demand to continue into the first half of 2021.Michael Schneider, Bunnings

Michael Schneider, CEO of Bunnings, emphasised in the interview the importance ascribed by the company to the culture created within Bunnings. The strong connection with the communities and regions in which the stores are located is no strategic accident: Bunnings regards its physical store network as its strength.
Although most businesses in Australia have remained open during the pandemic, Bunnings created the new "drive & collect" format for this exceptional situation. This format for contactless shopping has become "enormously popular", according to…