1987	Bill Archer and a former business partner acquired Choice DIY Limited, a small DIY retailer with six stores in the Midlands and the North.
1988	Acquisition of the Focus chain of six DIY stores.All stores were rebranded ''Focus DIY''.
1988 - 1998	Company had substantial organic growth, expanding from its base of 12 stores to 72 stores.
1998	Acquisition of Do It All (Holdings) Limited with 139 stores.All stores were rebranded as ''Focus Do It All'' (''FDIA'') and Focus became one of the largest DIY retailers in the UK, with 210 stores.
Sept 2000	Acquisition into the heavy DIY segment with the purchase of Wickes plc and 131 stores.
Dec 2000	Acquisition of Great Mills with 98 stores further strengthening its position in the light DIY segment.
2001	All former Focus Do It All and Great Mills stores (other than the seven "No-Frills" stores) were rebranded "Focus".Wickes stores continued to operate under the brand name "Wickes".
2002	Focus Wickes group emerged as the 2nd largest DIY retailer in the UK in terms of turnover and had 430 stores (Focus 291 and Wickes 139).
Feb 2005	Wickes Limited sold to Travis Perkins.
Jan 2007	Appointment of Rothschild to advise the Board of future options for the Group.
26 Jul 2007	Sold to a company backed by funds and/or managed accounts affiliated with Cerberus.
	Appointment of Hilco to manage 52 unperforming stores (Tactical Stores).
11 Oct 2007	13 of the previously identified Tactical stores and a further 39 stores (Strategic stores) are sold on to a number of retailers including Homebase, Wickes and Sainsburys.
Jun 2008	Opening of the first new format store in Wantage, Oxfordshire.
Oct 2008	Launch of the Payless brand of products: DIY and gardening products that are great value and fit for purpose.
Jan 2009	Fifth new form format store opened in Woking. New format stores include Wantage, Pontardawe, Harrogate, Wymondham and Woking.
Jan 2010	Winnersh, Morecambe and Kingswinford stores refitted to the successful new format.
Mar 2010	6 existing stores have been refitted to the new format: Winnersh, Kingswinford, Morecombe, Petersfield, Burgess Hill and Hastings.

Number of stores

Number of stores - 181

As at May 2009

Store Support Centre

Focus (DIY) limited
Gawsworth House
Westmere Drive
Crewe
Cheshire
CW1 6XB

Tel: 01270 501555
Fax: 01270 250501

Key Personnel

Chairman - Bill Grimsey
Chief Executive Officer - Rob Gladwin
Chief Commercial Officer - Brian Robbins
Chief Financial Officer - Chris Morgan
Finance Director - Rob Dean
Development Director (Property, Merchandising, Store Design) - Mark Footman
Brand Director - Richard Bird
Retail Director (Retail Operations, Supply Chain and Logistics, Central Operations Services) - Peter Brigden
Trading Director - Ian Lafferty and Ashley Bates
Support Services Director (HR, IT, Health and Safety and Training) - Paul Westgarth
E-Commerce Director - Tony Prescott
Head of Marketing - Michael Greenhalgh

Community Support

The business continues to review its product range making way for up to date and innovative products to meet our customers ever changing needs. As we need to make way for these new products discontinued stock is often donated to community and charity projects. Liaise directly with your local store to be kept informed as and when this activity will happen.