DIY retailer Focus is to introduce supermarket-style retail disciplines to speed up lead times, drive sales and improve supplier relationships.
Focus, part of Focus Wickes, will adopt a category management approach - used at grocers such as Asda - in buying and merchandising over the next 12 months.
The retailer will break its entire range down into 25 sub-categories. Trading, merchandising, marketing and inventory managers will be assigned to each category.
Focus will also appoint key suppliers as category champions in some product areas. They will work directly with the 275-store chain to understand consumer trends and reflect them in the range offered.
Focus trading director Justin Farrington-Smith, who is overseeing the project, said: 'It is about taking a more collaborative approach with suppliers and a more customer-focused perspective. We want to drive the top line harder, reduce the inventory and make better use of space in-store.'
The change will allow Focus to be more responsive and get ranges on-shelf within 'a matter of weeks', rather than months.
DIY market leader B&Q already uses a brand management approach, similar to category management.
Richard Hyman, chairman of retail consultancy Verdict, said: 'There are parallels between superstore food retailing and superstore DIY retailing, because you are looking for a strong level of authority across a wide range of disparate products. Category management is a step towards achieving that.'
Separately, Focus has identified 120 locations where it wants to open stores, but will move towards the target gradually, opening approximately 10 stores a year.
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