Welcome to the BHF Website

February 2010 Totally Tools: British Hardware Federation presented its annual awards for best Retailer, Supplier, Member of Staff and products awards at the dedicated hardware and DIY show at its new home at the NEC alongside Spring Fair. More here.

News

Releases

Music to retailers’ ears as appeal court rules PPL tariffs “excessive”
British Hardware Federation rewards the best at Totally DIY

BHF Best Member of Staff 2010

CHA helps hone knife sale rules
Scottish knife sale licensing scheme flawed, says trade body
Direct Company tops decade of expansion with better than a dozen percent growth
New trio for BHF-BSSA Marketing
Cash for members at Spring Fair
Boxing clever
WEEE renewal deadline looms
China & glass,cookware, toys & books shine amidst improvement in BHF-BSSA Survey shows

All this and more here.

WEEE renewal deadline approaching

WEEE scheme renewal Retailers of electrical and electronic goods have to take back goods like-for-like (eg a toaster for a toaster) when selling new product. This is is a requirement of the only set of regulations ever to make a nine year old boy snigger - the WEEE regulations. Unfortunately this may not make retailers laugh when faced with accepting, storing and disposing of the old toaster (it becomes trade waste as soon as you take it back) To be exempt from the legal requirement to accept in-store take-back - just renew your DTS membership today! The form is here..

More news

BBC One seeks retail families to go back in time
2005 business rates appeals – don’t miss out
Know Your Consumer Rights campaign
Certificates for WEEE Regulations
One to watch
From sick note to fit note...
... are you fit and ready?
Distance selling
Battery Boxes
Good news for UK economic growth
Music in shops – are you licensed?
Then again ...
Better Regulation Executive
Awareness campaign – paternity rights
Online sales of age-restricted items
BRC Crime Partnerships Conference
Last chance before scrappage is scrapped!
Trading Places initiative – find out more
Flood of new flood warnings
Battery recycling - have you got your box?
Smoking legislation
Asbestos – do you know your responsibilities?
Spring Fair and Totally Tools
Good news for businesses
Concerned by rising energy prices?
National minimum wage enforcement team
Deadline for re-joining the DTS
Do you sell online or via telephone?
WEEE – first prosecution
Battery boxes
Parental leave update
Sickness due to financial difficulties
Online VAT returns
Better Regulation Executive
Snow – impact on retailers
BRC Retail Crime Survey
Snow and staff absences
WEEE – have you re-joined yet? Don’t delay!
VAT
Interest rates still frozen at 0.5%
Crime over Christmas
Independent retailer competition
WEEE update – letters are on the way!
Battery collection boxes
VAT increase
Storage and display of knives
National Hardware Show 2010, Las Vegas
Clarification on knives and bladed items
National minimum wage rates reminder
Earnings and jobseekers’ allowance
WEEE update
Driving offences at work
BAGMA have moved!
Workplace bullying
Recession delaying retirement?
WEEE update - new offer for Valpak DTS members
BHF-BSSA Group talks to Mark Prisk MP
Good news for business rate payers?
Flooding
Tentative growth on high street
More shops closing
Knife sales in Scotland
Knife sales information pack
Platinum pack subscriptions
Pre-Budget report
Older workers’ concerns
UK unemployment
BHF-BSSA Group approved scheme for battery collection – order your boxes now
Complying with regulation
BHF-BSSA Group knife sales information pack
Shopworker abuse
Coping with the postal strike
Battery collection boxes – BHF-BSSA Group approved scheme
WEEE – options for 2010 onwards
Utility savings for BHF-BSSA Group members
Batteries
Employee theft
Knife retailers in Scotland take note!
UK still in recession
UK retail sales – no growth in September...
Vetting and barring – latest position
Agency Workers Directive delayed
Batteries
A rise in UK unemployment but...
Batteries update
Sick on annual leave?
Swine flu
Advice for credit control
New national minimum wage rates
NMW to keep on rising?
UK workers can be forced to retire at 65
Batteries – important information
Legislation changes from 1 October - redundancy
Selling knives in Scotland?
Platinum Pack updates
New national minimum wage rates
Pay and Work Rights Helpline
IHA Congress photos and stories
Vetting and barring – clarification!
Benefits of older workforce
Sick on annual leave?
Paternity leave
Grants for small businesses
Batteries
Lightbulbs
Weee – important information for retailers of electronic equipment
Minimum wage for agricultural apprentices in Scotland
Knife sales information pack
Light bulbs ban – shops can keep selling!
Predictions for economic recovery
CHA knife sales information pack
Health and safety poster - how to comply
IHA Congress Update
Light bulbs update
National minimum wage increase for October
WEEE latest
Free business advice days
Batteries update
Help with business rates
Are you insured against pandemics?
Free business advice days
Most businesses unaffected by swine flu
Fire safety and complying with regulations
UK unemployment
HMRC Business Payment Support Service
Fines for serious waste crimes
Retail closures
Platinum Pack latest updates
NMW reminder
Possible threat to high street
Lending to small businesses
CIPD Employee Outlook survey results...
More on swine flu – employer duty of care
...but if you are recruiting...
Good news on June retail sales
And more good news for SMEs
Swine flu contingency plans – be prepared
Age-restricted sales link to shoplifting?
Independent Safeguarding Authority
14 day self-certification a possibility?
UK economic recovery “on hold”
Empty shop premises on the rise
HMRC Business Payment Support Service
Health and safety poster - how to comply
Light bulbs reminder
Going green and cutting costs
BHF Group Platinum Pack
Light bulbs update
Overtime stress
Increase to statutory redundancy payments
Alternative to redundancy?
Business crime
Low Pay Commission visits
Health and Safety Executive website
Prosecutions for hiring illegal workers
Heatwave to cost businesses
Swine flu update
Scottish business rates update
Deaths at work at an all time low
BRC Annual Retail Crime Conference
Vehicle load spot checks
Stress at work
Banking crisis easing
Fraud threat
Skills shortage in London and how not to miss out
BRC NMW survey
Safety at height
Workers reluctant to take holiday entitlement
UK jobless total, but good news for older workers
Swine Flu
Trade credit insurance top-up scheme extended
Tax Inspector investigations
CO2 Emissions
Employers still cautious about hiring
REACH – update for small businesses
Increase in UK output
Maternity leave shake up-plans shelved
Random health and safety inspections
Smoking and the cost to businesses
BHF and batteries – progress is being made
Swine flu update
BHF Group Platinum Pack
Knife sales – test purchase teenagers can lie about age
Red tape still choking businesses
Look out for scam HMRC tax refund emails
Expenses – we all need to be vigilant!
Decline slows down for DIY?
More companies opt for flexible working
Swine flu update
Underage sales
Eye tests for users of display screen equipment
BRC Annual Retail Conference
Feeling innovative?
National Minimum Wage 2009 announced
Swine flu
Spam emails
Tax penalties
Business crime on the rise
Eurozone economies contract
Government trade credit insurance scheme goes live
Age restricted sales and better regulation
Swine flu update for employers
National Minimum Wage
BRC Annual Retail Conference
Key cutting course for BHF Group members - limited places still available!
Swine flu
Support for business
Banks’ business lending on the increase?
Wage freezes?
More on wages – BHF Group wages survey
UK to keep 48 hour week opt-out
Key cutting course for BHF Group members - limited places still available!
Empty budget from an empty treasury?
Wages survey
BHF Group lobbies on VAT rate
AGM / EGM / bssa / first woman president
Impact of business rates on retail sector
Wages survey
Good news for DIY and garden retailers?
Key cutting course for BHF Group members
Batteries
Retailers to take back used batteries
Regulation and enforcement - retailer views sought
Increased risk of fraud in tough times
Cut in VAT a boost to retail sales?
Key cutting course for BHF Group members
BHF Group concerns over home security scheme
Recent legislation changes
Platinum Packs
WEEE – BHF Group asks for a fair deal
Fire Safety Order review encouraging
Retail landlords – some good news
Interest rates
UK recovery could take until 2012
Business rates increase deferred
48-hour working week
Right to request flexible working extended
Increase to holiday entitlement
Gas Safe Register
Corporate manslaughter
Mixed news for the high street
Key cutting course for BHF Group members
Better regulation
Another underage knife sale
Free breakfast seminar on dispute resolution
Holiday entitlement
Tax help
Tractor sales
UK economy shrinks
£77bn cost of regulation
Age restricted sales
Factsheet list
Flexible working - good news for employers
48 hour week – talks continue
Redundancy and age discrimination
Need to issue a product recall?
Unemployment
Reduced industrial output in eurozone
National minimum wage
Disciplinary procedure to change
Legislation changes in April
Recession and increased business crime
Increased fire inspections
Employing young people?
Unemployment forecast
February snow affected retail sales
Holiday entitlement to increase
Age restricted sales help businesses.
UK compulsory retirement age is legal
Increase in unpaid overtime
Long hours detrimental to health
Monthly rents – have you requested?
Small businesses and empty properties
Interest rates cut to 0.5%
Businesses wanted for TV documentary
Fire risk assessments – first jail sentence
Stress at work
Knives and other age-restricted sales
New maternity proposals could be shelved
Consumers more cheerful in February
BHF Group Platinum Pack
Eurozone unemployment
Fraud warning
Engaging the workforce in cost cutting
Cash for SMEs
Innovate to avoid redundancies
Recruit and train
VAT burden
Train to Gain
VAT help for small firms
Ebay cuts knife sales
Stats
Agency workers – new campaign
BHF Group meet with LBRO
Call for National Insurance holiday for employers
Age discrimination
Insolvency figures
Statutory sick pay to increase from 6th April
Redundancy for poor performers?
New for April 2009 – flexible working requests
Batteries consultation running out
New for April 2009 – flexible working requests
Snow and staff absences
Commitment on knives
Possible changes to maternity leave
Job cuts for many UK firms
Risk of losing senior staff
Redundancy and unfair dismissal costs to rise
Redundancies... and alternatives to consider
National minimum wage decision delayed
Retail crime in the UK
Scams
Light bulbs
Administration rules
Retail sales decline in January
Considering staff cutbacks?
Holiday pay for long-term sick
Employees are concerned
Light bulbs
Batteries
VAT help for small firms
UK officially in recession
UK manufacturers hit hardTax rebate scam – members beware
Job cuts now could mean problems later
Basic pay falls for 3% of UK workforce
Batteries update
Business loans for small businesses
Business rates
Retail sales In December
Underage sales – latest news on prosecutions
More on underage sales – BHF Group seeks clarity
Phase out of incandescent light bulbs
Intellectual property inspections
Holiday entitlement for 2009
BHF Group wages survey
Retail crime
Interest rates at all time low
VAT reduction
48 hour week - MEPs vote to scrap UK opt-out
Possible good news for rents?
Crackdown on Illegal Working

Opportunities

Do you have a story to tell?

Mentorn Media is making a documentary for BBC3 exploring the roots and consequences of Shoplifting. One important aspect of the film will be to explore the impact of shoplifting on retailers and shop staff. If your business has been targeted by shoplifters we would really like to speak to you. Any conversations at this stage will be in confidence. Please contact Jess on 020 7258 6708 or email jfranses@mentorn.tv

BBC seeks retail families to go back in time

Are you a retailer who is fascinated by the history of your trade?
Imagine taking your work and your family back to the glory days of the High Street.
Could you show modern customers what good old-fashioned service really means?
Would you like to explore the techniques, technology and opening hours of the past?

Click here to find out more.

Savings

Click here for excellent BHF Finance deals

Vacancies

Clerical Assistant at our Birmingham office. Click here.

Join Today!

BHF-BSSA Group Logo

BHF-BSSA Group offers independent retailers:

Better margins, buying through The Direct Company
Cheaper credit and debit card charges
Real business finance, for vehicles and shopfittings
Good, old-fashioned banking, with its own FSA regulated deposit-taking bank
Savings on bank charges through our own payment clearing house
Specialist retail insurance with Sure... insurance, from Towergate risk solutions
Really affordable healthcare

To take advantage of the valuable services on offer, click here, call us today on 01295 712 277 or just pop your details into the simple form below and we will get back to you without delay.