Increased market share for Wickes

Wickes, a British DIY chain, is assuming that its share of the DIY market has increased for the third year in a row, with growth of three per cent estimated for 2009. The company, which is part of the Travis Perkins group, gives several reasons for this: a new marketing strategy that includes TV commercials, the new "My Card" loyalty programme designed to appeal above all to trade customers with relatively small businesses, and a strong performance by the kitchen and bathroom departments, which is related to the bankruptcy of competitor MFI.