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Mica is the brand name of the voluntary trading group ''Mica DIY Ltd'' (also referred to as a Symbol group) for independent do it yourself (DIY) and hardware retailers in the UK, who work together for group benefit in marketing, buying and retail support. It has around 60 members in the United Kingdom (UK), including all four nations of the United Kingdom. The majority are in England – currently around forty-four; in Wales there are six, there are also six in Scotland, and four in Northern Ireland. Their size and locations are diverse. Their headquarters are in Stone, Staffordshire, where they have been based since 1996. It was set up with the assistance of Mica South Africa, a company set up ten years earlier with a similar model.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.mica.co.za/about-us/ )〕 Unlike other similar groups Mica does not have its own warehousing, instead it works with suppliers who deliver direct and has a relationship with Stax Trade Centre, who act as the group's preferred wholesaler. Mica DIY Ltd became a registered co-operative retailer group in 2010, and had previously since its inception been majority owned by its retailer members. Its stated aim is to assist its retailer members to compete with the larger corporate stores. The business is owned and directed by its members, but management-run. It is similar to Spar or Nisa in many ways – working for hardware and DIY stores as they do in the grocery industry.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.uk.coop/organisation/12349 )〕 ==History== Independent DIY retail in the UK has been dramatically squeezed since the arrival of the chain stores, and more recently the online marketplace. September 2014 saw spend the in DIY/Garden category at £69 million for independents in the UK, but £700 million for multiples, suggesting a current market share of under 9%. Mica was set up in the UK in 1995/6 by two former senior members of staff at the BHF〔 (British Hardware Federation〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.bira.co.uk/bhf/ )〕) trading under the name Mica (UK) Limited. It grew quickly to over 120 retailers by 2005,〔 and in 2008 launched its own warehousing facilities. The timing for this was unfortunate, as was set up to launch in harmony with the Global banking crisis of 2008. As a result the business fell into administration on 8 July 2009 and Managing Director at the time Berlinda Barnard stated at the time stated there were many contributing factors to its demise including that ''"Mica faced some difficulty with certain branded suppliers who, after being encouraged not to supply the Mica Vault, refused to put their products through the distribution facility".'' Following the administration Belinda Barnard resigned, and members led by new interim chairman Jan Nicolson voted to continue with the Mica brand & set up a new company with reduced overheads. Companies house lists Mica DIY, previously known as Mica UK Management Ltd, as being incorporated in 1999. This holding company was renamed to become Mica DIY at the time of Mica UK Ltd's administration in 2009. 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「Mica DIY」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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