Upturn in Britain

The DIY market in Britain experienced growth of 4.7 per cent between January and September 2007 on the comparable period last year, according to information from GfK Retail and Technology. The UK market researchers are confident that this positive development is set to continue into the future. The emphasis this year has tended to be on aspirational lifestyle projects for DIYers to undertake in their homes and gardens. This change is reflected in increased sales for various products in the decoration categories: for example, emulsion paint has experienced 3.3 per cent growth in terms of value on the comparable period last year, and wallpaper is up by 8.3 per cent.