The British Home Enhancement Trade Association's (BHETA) next retailer networking forum will hone in on the topic of sustainability in the DIY sector, exploring buying trends, product development and packaging.
The forum, which will take place 26th February at Federation House in Birmingham, will include a presentation from Joseph Bill, Associate Director of online home decor and housewares retailer Wayfair, outlining the company's expansion into DIY, alongside its growing housewares and small domestic appliance offering.
The event will also see insights provided by Phil Pond of trend forecaster, Scarlet Opus, into the topics of sustainability, eco-friendly goods and the advances in technology which are leading to manufacturing innovation, material recovery and product design. Pond will also explore the implications for suppliers of increasing consumer frustration at the business world's perceived slowness to approach and react to the challenge of sustainability, and look at the potential of recycled materials for product and packaging manufacture in the DIY sector.
Other speakers include: Glynn Jones from the Bank of England, who will provide an assessment of the outlook for the economy and retail; Carolyn Hough, Dachser's Business Development Manager, who will take account of the UK's departure from the European Union; and Karina Kulichenko, Project Manager from the European Federation of DIY Manufacturers (FEDIYMA), who will present insights from the recently published 2019 Global Home Improvement Report.
"Retailing in both DIY and housewares continues to move fast, driven by the evolution of different shopping habits, attitudes and beliefs at macro level and ever more advanced technology," said BHETA COO Will Jones. "This forum will provide BHETA members with an insight into the opportunities and implications."
Registration for the event will commence at 9:30am, with refreshments and a networking lunch provided on the day. Those interested in attending can register their interest with BHETA's Member Services Manager, Nicola Adams Brown.
Torque attended BHETA’s first Business Service Provider Forum in November, which saw speakers present a series of insights into the probable effects of currency fluctuations, forthcoming legislative change, the impact of counterfeiting, the future of cross border fulfilment and some of the best ways to maximise the potential of Amazon as a route to market.
