VAT Savings...

Apologies to all for not posting a lot since July, in fact not posting at all would be more accurate. We have been incredibly busy sourcing new product developing new sites and altering our internal systems. I will have some great announcements to make shortly but thought I would just let you all know what the group is doing with regards to the recent VAT changes.

It is good news as we have decided to pass on the full 2.5% discount to our customers unlike the majority of our competitors!

We are applying the discount at checkout and I thought I would just give a brief explanation of how the discount is calculated:

How does this affect you?

All the prices currently displayed online include VAT at 17.5%. However these prices will be discounted at the checkout to be equivalent to the new 15% VAT prices. This means a discount of 2.13% on the displayed price.

Why is this discount 2.13% and not 2.5%?

The example below illustrates how the 2.13% discount is calculated:

Current ticket price includes VAT at 17.5%
On a product that sells for £100 the EX VAT price is £85.11
To calculate the new price including EX VAT at 15% we must add 15% to the EX VAT price of £85.11, which equals £97.87.

Anyway hope that is clear any questions please call us on 0800 389 9732

Brabantia Bins Are Here!

We have just introduced Brabantia as a new supplier to Bins For Kitchens. They are one of the major brands supplying bins, laundry products and kitchen accessories in the UK today.

We are a stockist able to offer the entire range but we will be adding the range to the DIY Essentials Group sites in a controlled fashion. Starting with a select range of bins and bin liners on the Bins For Kitchens site, we will be adding more Brabantia products to Kitchen Storage and DIY Essentials over the coming months.

Specialist Recycling Kitchen Bins

Recycling is a huge hot topic today. With landfill sites rapidly filling up, the Government is introducing recycling schemes throughout the country in an effort to get all of us to think very carefully about what we do with our rubbish. Without doubt the future will see local councils start to charge householders for the collection of rubbish, probably based on weigh and type of rubbish. Did you know that all wheelie bins contain a microchip that can be read to give an accurate weight of the rubbish in the bin?

If we think for a moment, it does make sense for us to try and cut down on the amount of waste we send to landfill and to try and segment our rubbish to make processing much more environmentally friendly.

Carrier bags are the current hot news item as they are not degradable so they will remain on the planet for a 1,000 years before they are broken down and absorbed into the soil. A recent article on www.bbc.co.uk reported that an estimated 13bn carrier bags are given away to UK shoppers each year.

Here at http://www.binsforkitchens.co.ukwe have established a reputation for supplying high quality integrated bins suitable for a range of cabinet sizes and recycling regimes, from 8 litres up to 90 litre capacities small flats to large households are catered for. A full back up service is also provided with an expert at the end of the telephone to assist when the bin is being fitted (full instructions are supplied with all bins supplied).

Which recycle bin should I choose?

Probably the first point to consider is do you want an integrated solution (one that fits into an existing kitchen cupboard) or a freestanding bin. The larger the cupboard available the bigger the bin you could choose. The largest bin the Hailo Euro Cargo 60 has a capacity of 87 litres with two 35 and two 8.5 litre bins giving the user the opportunity to segment all waste before it gets outside for the council to collect.

Where should I site the bin?

Many people look to put the bin under the sink, which is a great location but does come with its own problems i.e. pipe work. It is surprising how many people install the kitchen, get all the plumbing work finished then consider what bin will fit. A good tip would be to speak to the experts as to what bins would be best and then present the bin to the plumber to make sure the pipe work can be installed around the bin. One of the best bins for this situation is the Hailo Euro Cargo S 3614-52 which has a capacity of 49 litres split across a 30 litre and a 19 litre bin. It has built in soft close runners and is very simple to fit. It has a low height and depth meaning that pipe work can be positioned above and behind the bin.

How do I know if a bin will fit?

The starting point is always the width of the kitchen cabinet. This measurement is taken from one outside carcase wall to the other in a straight line. Typically the measurement will be 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550 or 600mm with the most common size being 600mm.

You then need the internal height and depth (front to back) of the carcase in millimetres.

If you are looking to fit the bin under a kitchen sink it is important to take the measurements from the pipe work especially the height under the pipe work and the depth available before the bin will hit the pipe work.

What sort of bins are available?

Free Standing Bins.

As the name suggests these simply sit on the floor and tend to be relatively high capacity, taking a single bin liner. The advantages are they take no installation, are easy to empty and usually have a higher capacity than other bins for less cost ie the purchase price per litre of capacity is less than other types of bins. They can be very attractive as demonstrated by the Hailo KickVisier 50.

Free Standing Recycling Bins.

These bins tend to be quite large as they have to be two or three bins in one. One of the most popular available is the Trio Recycling Bin, 60 litres which has a large storage capacity, with three twenty litre compartments, allowing your waste to be divided up before it is put out for your local council to collect. Brabantia also offer an attractive, two compartment bin called the Brabantia Twin Bin which has a ten litre and a twenty three litre bucket and is available in a range of colours and finishes. Brabantia also offer a “Fingerprint proof” version which is very simple to keep clean as fingers do not leave marks on the surface of the bin.

Wall Mounted Bins.

All mounted bins tend to be of wireframe construction so are not particularly attractive and are more suited to an office or a workshop environment. That said the smaller versions can be fixed to the back of a kitchen cupboard door and can be quite useful for small amounts of rubbish. They also have the advantage of being simple to fit as they are screwed to the door or wall. If fixing to a brick wall it is advisable to use the correct wall plugs and screws.

Bins For Hinged Doors.

Mainly manufactured by the German Company Hailo, these are a very clever idea. They are attached to the door in such a way that when the door opens the bin comes out attached to the door and the lid tends to remain in the cupboard. When the door closes the lid rotates into a closed position over the top of the bin. An excellent example is the Hailo 18 litre Uno Kitchen Bin which in polished stainless steel does look very attractive. These bins are quite simple to fit and are supplied with a template showing where to drill holes.

Door Front Fixing Pull Out Bins.

These are perhaps the Rolls Royce of the integrated bin solutions. They are fixed to runners inside the cabinet, which can be soft close in the latest models, have a high storage capacity, up to 90 litres and can have up to four compartments allowing complete segmentation of rubbish. They are removed from the cabinet by pulling the door towards you. Most also have a convenient shelf over the top of the bins that provides a lid for the bins and also storage space for bin bags and cleaning materials. A few examples include the Hailo Euro Cargo 60 , the Hailo Euro Cargo S which has the added benefit of being able to fit under a kitchen sink. It is both low and shallow allowing pipework to be accommodated behind the bin.

Pull Out Bins.

As the name suggests these bins typically are secured to the base of a cabinet, the door is opened normally and the bin is manually pulled towards the user. They are extremely simple to fit with fixing screws being placed through the bottom struts of the bin frame into the floor of the kitchen cupboard. A typical example would be the Hailo Easy Cargo 3668-50 .

Bins For Drawers.

These are a relatively new concept but do offer a great deal of flexibility in terms of the configuration of the bins. Some, like the Hailo XXL Space Saving Kitchen Bin fit inside a drawer box and simply pull out with the drawer. Others like the Ninka One2Five system are an integral part of the drawer box, which in the case of www.binsforkitchens.co.uk is supplied with soft close runners and all the fittings.

Written by:

Simon Taylor

Resident specialist on integrated and free standing bin solutions, www.binsforkitchens.co.uk .

simon@diyessentials.com

E-retailing defies downturn as consumers go online for best prices

I thought you might be interested in this article from Marcus Austin and is sourced from: www.internetretailing.net

Online spending is growing at its fastest rate for six years and high growth looks set to continue...

Despite the credit crunch and general doom and gloom on the high street, online spending is growing at its fastest rate for six years and high growth looks set to continue. The reason? Canny shoppers who are feeling the squeeze are using the internet to hunt down the very best bargains and the very lowest prices.

Online retail sales are growing at rate ten times higher than the overall UK retail market, says Verdict, with sales up 35% to £14.7bn in 2007. And this strong growth is set to continue with online retail sales set to reach £44.9 billion by 2012 and, longer term, growth continuing as today's younger shoppers get older and their income and spending power increases.

"The internet is widely perceived as a cheaper and easier way of finding lower prices and bargains in most sectors," explains Malcolm Pinkerton, Senior Retail Analyst at Verdict Research and author of the new report 'UK e-Retail 2008'. "As the cost of broadband falls, consumers become accustomed to internet shopping and retailers continue to enhance their online propositions, the channel will find itself extremely well-placed to capitalise on the falling consumer confidence and lower levels of disposable income currently impacting the retail market."

Online retailing alone is not the whole answer, however. "Despite some degree of cannibalisation, physical shopping is far from doomed. There is still a need and place for physical locations, the key is to ensure that synergies with online retailing are exploited to drive footfall to stores," Pinkerton adds. "While having an Internet presence is vital, giving the consumer choice by establishing strong links between the in-store and online offer is now essential... In many cases online and in-store sales channels will simply blur into one, becoming fully integrated."

This article was written by Marcus Austin and is sourced from: www.internetretailing.net

Recycling In The Home - Ten Hot Tips

Ten Hot Tips - Recycling In The Home.

Recycling is now part of everyday life but there is little advice around on how to recycle effectively. All councils act independently and some will pick up most things to recycle but others are more selective. This short article from our resident recycling expert provides some handy hints and tips that we have picked up over the years and hope you may find useful.

1. Wash as much of your recycling as possible to reduce odours.
2. Flatten everything you can – jumping on the smallest box can relieve the daily tensions!
3. Whilst washing your milk cartons or plastic bottles flatten the container and secure the lid to keep new shape.
4. Remove paper label from cans and containers before placing in your dishwasher.
5. Ensure you know exactly which items your council collects – one rogue item can spoil an entire collection.
6. Separate the plastic film from hard plastic container – container is recyclable film is not! Also remove that plastic window from boxes as well ie pizza boxes
7. Keep a box or bin in the kitchen especially for recycling, so your worktop does not disappear under a mound of recycling and you don’t get drenched running outside with one can. Make it as easy as possible for yourself.
8. Reduce the amount of foil/greaseproof paper by using casserole dishes where possible and the silicone baking sheets are great.
9. Invest in cloth napkins and a good dishcloth and your kitchen roll usage will decrease saving you money and helping the environment.
10. Carry a proper cotton handkerchief although paper tissues will always be invaluable when you have a cold.
11. If you use bin liners make sure that they are Biodegradable Bin Liners and are manufactured from plant or vegetable sources.

Written by:

Lisa Goodman, Bins For Kitchens Recycling Expert, Contact enquiries@binsforkitchens.co.uk for more information.

June 2008.

Shop with confidence with the DIY Essentials Group

Once again there has been a security breach at a major online retailer as reported on the BBC website.

As with the company TK Maxx it seems that Cotton Traders were storing card and address details on their own managed servers rather than relying on a totally secure third party such as Protx. They have fixed the security breach and are now totally secure again and to quote from the BBC press release:

"Cotton Traders have recently upgraded all security on their website which has been validated by leading Industry experts."

From conception the DIY Essentials group has used Protx to capture card details and transact with the Banks. It is definitely the safest way to conduct credit and debit card transactions over the internet although it does work out more costly for us to use this method.

So when shopping on the Groups website you know your details are totally secure.

Our sites include:

Kitchen Storage - a huge range of products all designed to fit out your kitchen with the latest, Spice Racks, Magic Corners, Wirework, Cutlery trays and much much more....

Kitchen Door Handles - the largest range of handles on the internet, over 2,000 to choose from...

Kitchen Bins - integrated and free standing solutions including the very latest styles and colours, backed up with a knowledgeable team....

Door Handles - for all your interior and exterior doors a huge range of handles and associated ironmongery that will make your doors stand out from the crowd...

Bathroom Accessories - high quality coordinated ranges of accessories from towel rails to toilet roll holders...

DIY Essentials - 10,000 home improvement products from those hard to find keku suspension fittings, replacement runners for you furniture to name but two...

Sandpaper - yes a whole site dedicated soley to sandpaper, you can purchase anything from 1 metre to full 50 metre rolls or single sheets - not sure what you need then give us a call on 0800 389 9732...

Boiling Water Taps from Quooker - simply the best...

Biodegradeable Bin Liners

There has been a huge amount of publicity over the past few months over the supermarket carrier bags issue and how they take 1000 years to degrade when put into landfill sites - I personally think that this a huge smoke screen put up by the supermarkets to deflect us from the food packaging issue which does a lot more harm to the environment than the free carrier bags.

Here are a few stats that made me sit up and listen:

1. Campaigners say plastic bags damage the environment. Some 13bn are given free to UK shoppers every year, and they take an estimated 1,000 years to decay.


2. UK households sent 22.6 million tonnes of rubbish to landfill in 2004/5 - the most recent year for which comparable figures are available across the EU.


3. The LGA warned that an area of 109 square miles was already used as landfill in the UK. The association, which represents councils in England, said that if the current trend continued, the UK could run out of landfill space in under nine years.

As one of the largest Internet retailers of freestanding recycle bins we thought we should take the bull by the horns and see if we could provide our customers with a range of TOTALLY biodegradeable bin liners and through our trade contacts we have managed to source some fantastic products that meet our objectives.

These bin liners have the compostable accreditation no. 7P0191 and are expected to degrade within 45 to 60 days of going into landfill.

Currently we are only offering 90 litre bin liners with dimensions of 73cm (closed width) x 146cm (open width) x 83cm length. But these will suit most tall freestanding bins used in kitchens today including Westco, Brabantia, Hailo, Simplehuman, Vibo and all other leading brands on the market.

We will be adding more bin liners to the range over the coming months so watch this space...

Safer shopping on the Internet – four hot tips.

There is currently a lot of talk in the media about the fraudulent use of credit and debit cards on the internet. As a leading merchant of DIY products we do get asked by customers on our thoughts on internet fraud and we do give advice when people ask.

Here are some pointers on how to combat fraudulent use of your card and also how to verify that the merchant you are entrusting your details to, is genuine.

• The first bit of advice is common sense really, if an offer on the internet looks too good to be true it probably is. Customers quite often say “I have seen such and such on such and such web site and it is much cheaper.” When we investigate we tend to find the following:

1. The website is situated off shore and has no address details. The only contact details are perhaps an email address and/or a telephone number.

2. The model being offered is not the current model. So the merchant has purchased a bulk load of discontinued items and is able to offer them for sale at a reduced price.

3. The web site is doing what is known as “drop shipping” which in itself is a perfectly respectable method of selling product. It involves a merchant taking orders via a website and forwarding them directly to a supplier who then send the goods directly to the customer on the merchants behalf. The problem with this can be after sales support as the merchant has no stock to speak of and therefore finds it difficult to deal with returns and the provision of spare parts etc. It is therefore important to establish the returns policy and what level of after sales support can be provided.

So in summary:

“If an offer on the internet looks too good to be true it probably is.”

• Security measures employed by the website you are visiting are crucial. The key elements to look for are as follows:

1. When you reach the page where you are being asked for your card details look at the web address. If it does not start with https:// then do not put your card details in. HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer and it is the secure socket layer that is the crucial part here. For a detailed description of how this works please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Https .
2. A padlock symbol in the bottom right hand side of your browser window. This again confirms that you are on a secure page.
3. Look for an SSL certificate on the home page of the web site. You can click on this to check that it is still valid and that it is registered to the site you are looking to purchase from.

So in summary:

“Look for https://.”

“Look for the padlock symbol.”

“Click on the security certificate to check it is valid.”

• Contact the company directly, for the price of a phone call you can quickly gauge if the site is staffed by competent people. Ask a technical question about the product you are looking to purchase and see if you get a satisfactory response. We have a dedicated technical team at the DIY Essentials Group and also have direct contact with the suppliers for the more advanced questions.

Whilst on the telephone it is also worth asking a few questions such as:

1. If the goods are not suited can you return them for a full refund?

2. How many days after purchase can you return the goods?

3. Can you order a sample?

4. Are spare parts readily available?

5. Are the goods in stock?

6. How quickly will the goods be delivered?

7. What courier will they be travelling by?

8. Will you get a tracking number?

9. If I purchase from you what name will appear on my statement?

So in summary:

“Contact the company on the telephone and ask questions.”

• Use a credit card and not a debit card. Your debit card details would generally give a fraudster access to your bank account, whilst a credit card does offer some protection in that if you can prove the transaction was fraudulent you will be able to recover the monies. If you are very nervous about online fraud it may even be worth setting up a separate bank account that you only use for your online shopping.

So in summary:

“Use a Credit and not a Debit card for your online purchases.”

Boiling Hot Water - on tap

We have been so impressed by this tap we have built a dedicated site to it. www.boiling-water-taps.co.uk has the entire domestic, semi professional and professional ranges on it.

We are also offering a 10% discount until the end of April 2008 and a free Ecloth with every purchase.

There is a 5% discount built into the checkout and if you use voucher code:

Quooker Discount

you will receive an additional 5% off.

There are also further discounts available for trade enquiries so why not give our resident Quooker Taps expert a call on 0800 389 9732.

Effective Email Marketing

For some time we have been deliberating over the issue of email marketing. All of our competitors use this tool but we have only dabbled in this marketing channel.

The issue for us is that we are constantly bombarded by emails, 99% of which are deleted as they are just not relevant to what we are interested in at the time of receiving the mail. We are annoyed by most of them as we have to sort through them to get to the real email that requires immediate attention. At the end of the day we may read some of the "junk" email to see if anything interesting is happening.

So how do we make sure that our customers don't label us with the same badge.

To start with we only email people who have asked to receive them.

We then use Constant Contact to manage all our mails and lists so if a customer decided to unsubscribe they can safely in the knowledge that we will never email them again. This of course means that they will miss out on some great technical articles and offers that are coming out in the future.

We have also introduced an email archive so it is possible to unsubscribe but still browse the archive when the time is right for the customer.

We are also moving away from "Hard Sell" emails to more informative newsletters containing technical articles and "How To" guides. We will of course use the excellent tracking facilities within Constant Contact to identify customers who have a real interest in certain products and target these groups with tailored offers that will hopefully move them closer to a buying decision.

Anyway if you would like a sneak preview of the archive click the link below:

View The DIY Essentials Group Email Archive

Email Marketing by Constant Contact®

Quooker® - The Instant Boiling Water Tap

Very occasionally exceptional products come along that become the latest "must haves". This is one such product. Available in four designs, Basic, Classic, Design and Modern; this tap is the only one on the market to consistently deliver true fresh, filtered boiling water.

Our tap collection includes four models: Basic, Classic, Design and Modern; and six finishes: chrome, satin chrome, stainless steel effect, brushed chrome, gold-plated brass and bronze. This allows you to find a matching Quooker® tap for every kitchen and mixing tap.

All Quooker taps have a childproof push-and-turn handle. They are also height-adjustable and insulated. The adjustable height comes in handy, for instance, when you want to fill a tall pan or thermos. In this case you adjust the tap to the highest position. The lowest position, on the other hand, is (for example) useful when you want to fill up a small pan with water in your sink. Thanks to the insulated spout, you can do one shortly after the other: just take hold of the spout and slide it up and down.

Basic

The Quooker Basic has a handle with recess and spout with an angle of 100º.

Classic

The Quooker Classic has a classic-style handle and arched spout..

Design

The Quooker Design has a handle with pin and arched spout.

Modern

The Quooker Modern has a handle with pin and spout with an angle of 90º.

Safety

The Quooker has a push-and-turn mechanism to prevent unwanted operation. This ensures that children cannot be scalded by the boiling water.

Adjustable outflow

The outflow can swivel and be adjusted in height. This enables you to set it to a convenient height.

Descaling the aerator

It is advisable to remove limescale from the aerator regularly by removing it from the tap and placing it in vinegar. The intervals at which descaling is required depend on the water hardness. Regular descaling will ensure that the aerator does not block and spray water.

Indicator lamp

The indicator lamp on the tap indicates whether the tank is heating up. If the Quooker is not used the indicator will light up several times an hour for short periods. It will also light up once you start the flow of boiling water. If the indicator flashes, the tank is not heating up. In that case you have to reset the unit by switching it off briefly with the power switch, and then switching it on again. If the indicator keeps flashing please contact the manufacturer.

Use of the Quooker

When filling a cup, teapot, pan, etc. with boiling water you should keep it close to the aerator because some of the boiling water may spray around due to the steam.

Technical Specifications

Tank PRO3-VAQ

Voltage 230 V

Wattage 1600 W

Capacity 3 litres

Heating-up time cold tank 10 minutes

Standby power consumption 10 W

Tank height 40 cm

Tank diameter 15 cm

Tap hole size 32 mm

Maximum working pressure 8 bar

Safety features maximum pressure

pressure relief valve 8 bar

Water shut-off valve ceramic

HiTAC® water filter High Temperature Activated Carbon

Mounting bracket optional

Approval WRAS certificate no. 0601100

Calling all property developers - Aluminium Lever Handle

20mm Aluminium Lever Handles


Spectacular offer for February 2008 only!


Just in and at a fantastic price these aluminium lever handles are of a very high quality, and at a bargain price of ONLY £6.33 per pair you cannot go wrong.

We will also offer more discount for those customers looking for 50 or more pairs.

For more information please call us on 0800 389 9732.