Is this the best looking DIY store in the country?

Here at Insight DIY, we like to think we focus our efforts on publishing the right content for our discerning readers, the real strategic issues that affect the lives of the individuals and the many companies that operate within what we fondly describe as the DIY Industry. (Although to be fair, very few people actual do DIY anymore, so if anyone has a better title, please let me know).

At Insight DIY we engage with close to 20,000 individuals every month and I'm proud to say that our audience includes over 5,000 people who work for the UK's largest home improvement and gardening retailers and the remainder include the leading 500 suppliers in the UK, as well as a growing number of banks, analysts and industry watchers.

Our focus is on the stuff that matters, we don't waste our time reporting on a small fire in a garden centre in Nantwich, a rabbit that has been temporarily lost in a B&Q car park in Melton Mowbray or a new range of foot cream launched by a company we've never heard of!

We may be flippant, dismissive and occasionally rude, but we have a point of view, a perspective and an attitude when it comes to the real issues our industry faces today.

These issues include:-

• Does anyone actually believe the ONE Kingfisher programme focuses and truly delivers on the needs of the customer in each country where it operates?
• Does anyone think that Bunnings will find it extremely difficult to make a profit from their UK business and at some stage, Wesfarmers may decide to pull the plug?
• I still don't understand why Kingfisher don't replace TradePoint with a Screwfix in every B&Q Warehouse.
• When will Wickes actually do something interesting? To be fair to the Watford crew, the new store at Crawley is mildly interesting, but the only other news-worthy item that business has done in the last 12 months is to launch a range of sunscreen for builders in paint tester pots. I'm not even kidding - Wickes gives away sunscreen to builders - yes really!

We like to ponder serious questions such as - how the heck does Robert Dyas actually have a business and why does anybody buy anything from a garden centre anymore, when we all know they're 40% more expensive than everywhere else?

And what are Clas Olson trying to do? In five years and after many store visits, I'm still at a complete loss. I end up just leaving the store giggling to myself and shaking my head, having purchased some random plastic household item that I then drop into the nearest waste bin on my way back to the car.

Well, to continue our focus on the real issues (and quite frankly to fill the hour I have, whilst waiting for Amazon to deliver my order of home decorating products for the weekend) I've decided to turn my attention to aesthetics and I want to ask you a question - Is this Bunnings Warehouse in Weston-super-mare, the best looking DIY store in the country?

I personally think it is, just look at the lovely curves of the roof, it is truly a magnificent work of art and one which I think would stand up to a challenge from any other store in the UK. If anyone thinks they know of a better looking DIY store, send me the pics to steve@irg.co.uk, we might even do some kind of a pointless and yet amusing survey.

Source: Insight DIY Steve

If you like this kind of banter, I've started this blog at InsightDIYSteve, where you can read this and all future articles that I write for Insight DIY.

Follow InsightDIYSteve on Twitter

Follow InsightDIYSteve on LinkedIn