Wickes named UK's No.1 DIY Retailer

Travis Perkins-owned chain tops the bill, with B&Q in second place, as 6,000 consumers vote for their favourite retailers in Verdict Research's annual poll.

General merchandise chain Wilkinson bagged the third spot in the DIY retailer category, with price a key issue for consumers this year, according to Verdict.

Consulting director Neil Saunders said: "This year's winners tend to be retailers that focus heavily on price or retailers that add a lot of value to their offers."

Meanwhile, John Lewis was voted the UK's favourite retailer overall, for the fourth consecutive year, followed by Ikea in second place. The department store chain was also named as favourite in the homewares and electricals sectors.

Verdict's Mr Saunders added: "John Lewis' formula for success is tantalisingly simple: great service, broad and compelling ranges, superior quality, and honest and fair pricing. But it's a model that's extremely difficult to emulate. The result is that John Lewis makes consumers feel good about shopping: it delivers value over and above just the physical purchase.'"

Ikea, which was also voted second favourite in the homewares retailer category, scored well on both price and range. The results follow a year where the business managed to successfully grow its share in a market that saw an overall contraction in size, said Verdict. Mr Saunders commented: "Ikea offers good quality, stylish modern products at market-beating prices...that's something consumers have welcomed during these more constrained times."

Waitrose bagged the third spot as Britain's favourite retailer, followed by Superdrug and Amazon in fourth and fifth place.

Source : DIY Week.net