Where to Start When Buying Your DIY and Gardening Tools? 10 UK Brands Are Analyzed to Help You Choose
The DIY and gardening sector is expanding rapidly with a predicted growth rate of more than 40% over the next four years; as such, the UK gardening market is looking promising.
The current market is flooded with many companies with some that are new and some that have been around for many years; consequently, there are a lot of options to out there and it can be difficult to know just where to start choice-wise.
If you have DIY projects coming up, gardens to plant and maintain, or a bathroom/kitchen renovation planned, you will eventually have to make a choice regarding what tools or equipment you’ll need to help you make a success of your projects. That’s where we come in - we’ve sifted through some of the best-known brands out there, to help you make an informed choice for your DIY and gardening needs.
B&Q
Background:
B&Q (formerly Block & Quayle) has been a subsidiary of the Kingfisher Group since 1982 and is the market leader for DIY in the UK. Founded in 1969, the Eastleigh-based company has market presence in the UK, Ireland and Poland and as far reaching as China and Taiwan. This ambitious company also bought out Screwfix in 1999. B&Q has always focused on promoting its brand image and subsequently even sponsored the Scottish Football League between 1988 and 1992.
Logo:
B&Q’s logo was created so as to portray an image of strength, sharpness and solidity. The logo shows the initials of the two founders Richard Block and David Quayle in white against an orange background.
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The Range
Background:
Founded in 1989, this Plymouth based company grew quickly and now has a network of 150 stores, based for the most part in the South of England. This company has aimed to establish its name amongst customers by gearing itself toward communities at a local level whilst continuing to expand its brand nationwide.
Logo:
This complex logo employs the use of bold colours (blue and orange) and at the start of the logo we see in orange the encircled letter ‘R’ which conveys the company desire to offer an all-encompassing customer experience, whilst covering the areas of DIY, home wares, furniture and art supplies.
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Maxwells DIY
Background:
This Sunderland based company was founded 1959 and has an 80 year history of DIY expertise, which is a valuable commodity when you have customers, especially the inexperienced, seeking expert advice for their projects. Maxwells DIY currently has a network of 10 stores operating in the UK; the main ones being Birtley, Peterlee and Ashington who offer specialized services.
Logo:
The company logo is centred around their approachable DIY handyman mascot ‘Max’ and subsequently the brand exudes an air of trustworthiness and balance with its mix of yellow and blue colouring.
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Homebase
Background:
Homebase was established by Sainsbury’s in 1979 and was acquired in June 2018 by the Hilco Group. This Milton Keynes based company specializes in the areas of home improvement and gardening. It currently has a network of 238 stores operating in the UK and 11 stores in the Republic of Ireland. Homebase also has a colourful and memorable advertising history. Over a period of six years between 1999 and 2005, lovable couple Neil Morrissey and Leslie Ash represented the brand on TV creating a rapport of familiarity with the public. More recently we’ve seen commercials for Homebase featuring well-known songs such as Love Machine by Girls Aloud and Young Folk by Peter Bjorn and John, which further outlines the brand’s desire to stay relevant and connect with its consumers.
Logo:
In this logo we see the word ‘Homebase’ written in white on a green background. The letter ‘o’ in ‘Homebase’ is a solid orange dot, which draws the eye in towards the ‘o’ as a sort of base or target, thus conveying the message (subliminally) that this company is your ‘base’ where you can find everything you need. The catchphrase under the word ‘Homebase’ is ‘Always your home. Always low prices’, which shows that the company relies not only on competitive pricing but also on consistency and continuity, which is very effective in attracting and maintaining customers.
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Wickes
Background:
Launched in 1972 in the UK and currently owned by the Travis Perkins Group, this Watford-based company has a large network of 230 stores all over the UK that specializes in the areas of home improvement and gardening. Wickes also has a long history. The Wickes name dates back as far as 1854 when Henry Dunn Wickes, a Michigan based entrepreneur began a family run lumber business with his brother, which is an impressive beginning!
Logo:
This no-frills logo uses the colours blue and white and is simple, clean and balanced. It shows the name ‘Wickes’ in white against a blue background, which is contained in a downward facing triangle that points to the catchphrase ‘Let’s do it right’ in white lettering beneath. This logo provides the customer with an impression of stability, confidence and competence, which is in line with the company’s long and impressive history. The downward facing tip of the logo triangle points toward the physical store entrance as well as the website menu and subsequently further invites the customer to enter the store premises and website.
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Screwfix
Background:
Founded in 1979 as the Woodscrew Supply Company, they started out only making screws. Since that time this company based in Yeovil, Somerset, has been acquired by Kingfisher Plc and renamed as Screwfix Direct which is now a major name in the DIY, home improvement and gardening scene in the UK. Screwfix has 550 stores in the UK as well as 20 stores in Germany and is showing no signs of slowing down expansion any time soon.
Logo:
In this logo we see the word ‘SCREW’ in very solid blue capital letters with the word ‘FIX next to it predominantly in red and in a different font. This red and blue lettering portrays the rigor of a company that has a very strong and well-established history in the UK. The letters ‘W’ and ‘F’ are intermingled, creating an interesting graphic comprised of a mix of two fonts, which further reflects the dynamic nature of this company; a nature that is evident in the many innovations that Screwfix has made on the ecommerce scene.
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Toolstation
Background:
Toolstation is a relatively young company, having been founded in 2003 and has been owned by the Travis Perkins Group since 2012. This Bridgwater-based company has expanded rapidly and established itself as one of the leading players in the DIY market in both the UK and all over Europe. As at 2012, Toolstation owned 212 stores and is still growing today.
Logo:
The solid, military-styled red and blue capitalised lettering of ‘TOOLSTATION’ contained in a white oval with a blue border, reflects the ambitious company’s rigor and strength in the market.
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Bigbromarket
Background:
This online marketplace was established in 2018 and is quickly on its way to becoming one of the big players at the forefront of the DIY and gardening market in the UK. It offers an extensive range of categories and products for both professionals and amateurs.
Logo:
In this logo we see a bearded handyman in orange with a white background, with the words ‘BigBroMarket’ underneath. This mascot presents as strong, capable, reassuring and trustworthy, which is line with the company’s ethos and ambitions.
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Robert Dyas
Background:
Founded in 1872 and purchased in 2012 by Dragon’s Den investor, Theo Paphitis; this company based in Wimbledon has a strong sense of community and environmental responsibility and as such has been part of many various projects that have benefited the community at large as well as the environment through its various recycling schemes and FSC certified products. This brand is now very well established in the south of England with 95 stores to date. It covers a wide range of areas in the market such as electrical, outdoor, garden, DIY, kitchen, home wares and furniture.
Logo:
The logo is so named after the founder Robert Dyas and the lettering ‘Robert Dyas’ is light green in a simple, clean font with a graphic to the left in the shape of a house that is comprised of a wide range of different tools and equipment, which represents the range of products as stocked by Robert Dyas.
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Manomano
Background:
This company was founded in 2012 by two French DIY enthusiasts Philippe de Chanville and Christian Raisson. ManoMano is a marketplace based in France, which as a brand has a reputation of being both innovative and forward thinking. This company offers a large range of DIY and gardening products and in 2013 launched in England; which displays the company’s impressive expansion.
Logo:
We see the word ‘mano’ in yellow and ‘mano’ repeated in blue next to it on a simple white background. The lettering font is artistic and relaxed in style, conveying a bit of its French flair and heritage, but also the approachable and community based spirit that this brand is known for, as well as its strong presence online and on social networks.
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