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Focus DIY was a privately owned chain of DIY stores in the United Kingdom. It served the consumer DIY market sector, and most stores had some form of garden centre. By 2011, it was the fourth largest DIY retailer in the United Kingdom, although at its peak, it had been the second largest DIY retailer in the United Kingdom. The main competitors were B&Q, Homebase and Wickes. The company operated 178 stores in the United Kingdom with 3000 employees, but had been running losses every year since 2007. The year up to 2011, the company saw an loss of £25M.〔Ernst & Young. Administrators' Statement of Proposal. 24 June 2011〕 On 4 May 2011, the Focus Group announced that it was going to enter administration; the following group companies went into administration; Focus (DIY) Limited, Focus (Investments) Limited, Payless DIY Limited, Payless Properties Limited, Do It All Limited & Do It All (Holdings) Limited. The company entered administration on Thursday 5 May 2011, with Ernst & Young appointed as administrators. As no buyer was found for the chain as a whole, the company was put into a wind down process. During this period the administrators were able to sell 55 stores to B&Q, Wickes and B&M Bargains. The remaining 123 stores were closed, in intervals, beginning on Sunday 19 June 2011, until the final closures on Friday 22 July 2011. ==History== The company had its origins in the early 1980s, when Mike Williams launched Focus Homecentres for AAH Holdings plc. In December 1987, Focus Homecentres was acquired by ''Choice Group Limited''.〔Letter dated 23 December 1987 from Choice Group Limited to Mr M J Williams〕 The new company's shareholders included Mike Williams, Bill Archer & Greg Stanley (who had previously built up and sold the DIY chain Fads). Focus increased its market share, with a mix of both acquisitions, and organic growth. This included the purchase of the Do It All DIY chain from Boots in August 1998. Until 2001, both chains were rebranded as "Focus Do It All". The company added a further 131 stores, with the purchase of Wickes in September 2000, a 'no frills' DIY chain which focused on building supplies to the trade. This was whilst the existing Focus company had targeted the 'lighter' end of the market. The two store formats were thought to complement each other, and so were retained as separate entities. The group became known as "Focus Wickes". In December 2000, the group expanded again, with the purchase of the Great Mills chain, from RMC Group. Another 98 stores were added to the portfolio. The majority of these stores were re-branded as Focus, except for some larger stores which became Wickes. By 2002, through rapid expansion and acquisition, Focus had become the second biggest DIY chain in Britain with 430 stores and sales of over £1.66 billion.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Duke Street :: Focus )〕 In December 2004, the Wickes business and stores were sold to Travis Perkins〔(Focus DIY sold for £1 ). ''The Guardian''〕 for £950M, making a tidy return on the £350M initial investment.〔 The sale was completed in February 2005. By January 2007, it was clear that the company had run into financial difficulties; it was close to breaching its banking covenants, and struggling under debts built up over the acquisition spree in the preceding years. The DIY market as a whole had experienced a two-year drop in sales〔 and Focus blamed "challenging" market conditions for the difficulties.〔(Focus DIY falls into administration as debt crisis mounts ) The Independent〕 Focus appointed bankers Rothschild to advise it on a potential sale of the business.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Business - Focus DIY looks at sale options )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Focus DIY」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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