A MAJOR DIY and garden retailer has become the latest in a string of chains confirming it will close all stores on Boxing Day.

B&Q has revealed it will shutter its more than 300 UK branches on December 25 and 26 to give staff a well-earned break.

1

The retailer, which stocks everything from garden products to kitchenware, tools and equipment will also close all its stores early on Christmas Eve.

Branches across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will shut at 4pm instead of the usual 8pm.

The vast majority of the DIY chain’s stores will also be operating reduced opening hours on New Year’s Day.

Its stores in Scotland and on the islands of Jersey and Guernsey meanwhile will be closed to customers on January 1.

Shoppers should use B&Q’s store locator tool to find out when their local branch is closing over Christmas to avoid a wasted trip.

You can do this by using the retailer’s “Find a Store” tool on its website.

B&Q is the latest retailer to announce it will be closing for two days over Christmas to give staff time off.

Home Bargains was the first to announce it would shut all stores on Boxing Day, as well as Christmas Day.

Aldi followed, confirming it would close its more than 1,000 branches for two days over Christmas.

CDS Superstores, trading as The Range and Wilko, has also said it will close branches on December 25 and 26.

Plus, John Lewis, Waitrose and Homebase confirmed they will shutter down all their stores on Boxing Day.

It’s worth bearing in mind, almost all stores close on Christmas Day every year, but a handful of retailers usually shut the following day.

Last year, dozens of chains across the country made the decision to adjust their opening hours to give their workers a well-earned break on December 26.

Aldi, Iceland, John Lewis, and Poundland all pulled down their shutters on Boxing Day.

While other opted to operate with reduced hours instead, including Sainsbury’s, Primark, Morrisons and Tesco.

We will keep you updated on the major chains’ plans for this year as they’re announced.

In any case, most retailers will have store opening hours on their website.

It comes after Kingfisher, which owns B&Q, said in March it would be expanding its B&Q Local format across UK high streets.

B&Q opened nine of these new stores in the UK last year and said it had plans to open more.

The cost-of-living-crisis is the single biggest driver of people seeking financial advice or guidance, a new report from St James’s Place (SJP) has found.

Major life events or milestones are the biggest prompts for people to seek financial advice or guidance, SJP’s Real Life Advice Report, launched today (3 October), shows.

Almost half (48%) of those who have accessed advice or guidance – 12.5m people – did so following a key moment.

This includes buying a property, getting married, or dealing with an unexpected change like divorce.

Overall, 17% of respondents said reaching a certain age was what prompted them to seek financial advice, while 15% said it was buying a property.

Just over one in 10 (12%) said it was receiving an inheritance, while 10% said it was retirement and 10% said it was getting married.

The study, which surveyed just under 12,000 individuals, also highlights that unexpected change and challenges are key drivers of financial advice or guidance.

More than one in ten (12%) sought support following a change in job status, such as promotion, career change or redundancy, 6% following divorce and 6% following caring for loved ones.

Serious illness and becoming a single parent were triggers for others (both 5%).

St James’s Place director partner engagement and consultancy, Alexandra Loydon, said: “Big life events and milestones make people stop, assess and plan, and often they prompt people to undertake some financial planning too.

“While it’s clear that one of the greatest benefits of financial advice or guidance is the support it can offer in times of change or stress, the key to navigating those moments is putting a strong financial plan in place ahead of time.

“Seeking the support to do so not only boosts mental and emotional wellbeing, but provides the confidence to reach life’s goals and milestones in the first place.”

While life events and milestones are collectively the biggest reason that people seek financial advice or guidance, SJP’s research found that the single biggest driver was the cost-of-living crisis, with 18% accessing support due to this.

Other macro trends also prompted action, with 13% seeking support due to changes in the economic environment, 10% as a result of high mortgage rates, 7% following policy changes and 5% after a change of government.

For just under a fifth (18%) of those who have taken advice or guidance, seeking help was the more positive consequence of accumulating a savings and investment pot large enough to warrant it – rising to 27% to those that are currently receiving ongoing financial advice.

Referrals and recommendations are also common prompts for taking advice or guidance, with 15% of those who have received advice or guidance doing so following a personal referral, and 8% because they had a family adviser.

The study also found that younger generations are more likely to seek support to navigate complicated issues.

SJP’s research revealed that the reasons why people first take financial advice or guidance are changing.

Those aged 55 and over were largely prompted by more simple reasons, with one in five stating it was either because they’d reached retirement (21%), their savings had reached a certain level (20%), or they’d reached a certain age (20%).

In comparison, those aged 18 to 34 are more likely to seek support to navigate more complicated issues, as managing money continues to become increasingly complex.

Nearly a quarter (24%) have taken advice or guidance because they were worried about the cost of living (compared to 8% of those aged 55 and over).

Overall, 17% sought support to get on the housing ladder (versus 10% of over-55s) and 16% did so due to concerns around high mortgage rates (versus 3% of over-55s)

A total of 12% turned to advice or guidance to tackle how they support a loved one with care costs (versus just 1% of over-55s).

Loydon added: “Younger generations face a very different landscape to their parents and grandparents, from higher living costs and a tougher housing backdrop, to the decline in defined benefit pension schemes meaning greater individual responsibility for their retirement.

“This increasingly testing and complex backdrop means it’s even more important to be thinking about and taking action to build up finances as early as possible.

“Advice and guidance can help with understanding these issues, and with putting measures in place to ensure their money works as hard for them as possible, no matter what their circumstances are.”

CHOCOLATE lovers were thrilled after spotting a discontinued Nestle bar back on the shelves.

The discovery sparked debate online as not everyone believed they had made a return.

3

3

Advertisement

Animal Bar is a milk chocolate bar designed with two different animals along with their names moulded on the surface of the chocolate.

The mini chocolate bars were designed for children and come with a fun game inside the wrapper.

On a Facebook group dedicated to nostalgic snacks, a member shared a photo of an Animal Bar.

“Used to love these as a kid. Shame they’ve gone,” they wrote.

“I don’t think they have gone away have they?” one argued.

“Iceland still sell them,” said a second.

“Loved this chocolate bar,” echoed a third.

Another claimed that Tesco still sells the little chocolate bars.

Someone else wrote that they can be found in Poundland and a third said they were in Asda.

“You can still get them I’ve seen them I’m sure they were in B&M,” said another.

Unfortunately for fans, the chocolate bar was discontinued in November 2023.

The Animal Bars spotted in the shops are old stock still in circulation.

The Animal Bar was first manufactured in 1959 and sold by Makintosh’s under a different name until a rebrand in 1963.

Nestlé said the chocolate bar was being discontinued after 60 years “due to the low performance of the product and a steady decline in its sales over the past few years,” according to Sky News.

3

M&G has appointed Kirsty Wright in the newly created role of director of PruFund proposition.

The appointment comes a month after M&G exited the platform market to focus on its life business.

Wright, who has over 17 years’ experience, joins from LV=, where she was head of wealth proposition.

She is tasked with developing M&G’s new propositions within its £62bn multi-asset PruFund range.

Wright said: “PruFund is a unique proposition in the market and has a fantastic reputation for delivering for customers.

“I look forward to the next stage of PruFund’s development as we seek to widen its distribution, providing more advisers with access to well-diversified, low-volatility investment solutions for their clients, which give them the confidence to invest and grow their savings over the long term.”

The fund, first launched in 2004, has over 450,000 customers advised by 5,000 advice firms.

It is designed to meet increasing customer demand for long-term savings solutions across major tax wrappers, including onshore and offshore bonds, Isas and pensions.

Most recently, clients have been able to access the range of funds via a platform for the first time.

M&G said it will now focus its strategy on making PruFund as accessible as possible by replicating this model across multiple platforms in order to drive growth.

The fund’s smoothing mechanism helps to reduce the impact of market fluctuations and has delivered an annualised return of 5.38% over the last 20 years.

IF the end of summer leaves you feeling a little blue, planning a getaway for next year can help lift your spirits.  

Even better, plotting next year’s holiday early also means you you can stretch your annual leave by taking time off work around bank holidays.  

1

By strategically booking time off around bank holidays, you can maximise your holiday allowance.

This effective planning trick means that in 2025 you could get a bumper 53 days of holiday with just 23 days of annual leave.

It tends to be easier to fully switch off from work and feel more refreshed if time off is taken over longer stretches.

You don’t have to jet off on a fancy holiday, the days can be used to relax, do odd jobs or just spend time with family and friends.

However you want to use your time, the key to getting longer breaks is with some careful planning.

Here’s how to make the most of your annual leave next year…

EASTER

• Book four days of holiday to get 10 days off

Next year Easter Sunday next year falls relatively late on April 20. This makes the Good Friday Bank Holiday April 18 and the Easter Monday on April 21.

If you schedule days off around the bank holidays, you will be able to get a 10-day stretch off work, including the weekend with just four days of annual leave – and you have a couple of options.

Either book off Monday April 14 through to Thursday April 17.

Or book from Tuesday April 22 until Friday April 25.

Either way, you’ll get a 10-day break, including weekends, in exchange for four days annual leave.

And if you’re looking for one long period off, you could book all eight days off work to get 16 days off work, including the weekends.

MAY

• Book four days of holiday to get nine days off – twice

In May, you can get another nine-day break with only four days of leave thanks to bank holidays.

The first one is the Early May Bank Holiday on Monday, May 5.

Use it to then book off May 6, 7, 8 and 9, to get the nine-day stretch off from work, including two weekends.

Or you can use the Spring Bank Holiday instead, which falls on Monday, May 26 for the nine-day stretch.

Take off Tuesday, May 27, through to Friday, May 30, meaning you’ll be off from Saturday, May 24 and then back at work on Monday, June 2.

AUGUST

• Book four days of holiday to get nine days off

In the summer, there’s another bank holiday on Monday, August 25.

Book off four days from August 26 until 29, and in total you’ll get nine days off in a row from Saturday, August 23 until Monday, September 1.

This stretch is perfect if you have children off from school and want to take a holiday with them.

DECEMBER

• Book four days of holiday to get 11 days off OR seven days off for 16 days off

As the year draws to a close, there are two more bank holidays that you can take advantage of.

Next year, they will fall on Thursday, December 25 for Christmas Day, and Friday, December 26 for Boxing Day.

These national holidays give a couple of options to maximise time off.

You can book off December 22, 23 and 24, to get a nine-break from work from December 20 to Monday, December 29.

Or book off December 29, 30 and 31, as well as January 2. January 1 is another bank holiday so you don’t need to book it off.

This way you’ll have 11 days off from work, including weekend, meaning you can relax and make the most of the festive season.

If you book off all seven working days, you’d get a lovely long break of 16 days from December 20 to January 5.

WHAT ARE THE RIGHTS TO TIME OFF?

Of course, you’ll need to make sure you get your time off agreed by your employer to make the most of bank holiday hacks.

Most employees who work a five-day week must get at least 28 days’ paid annual leave a year – the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of holiday.

There is no obligation for employers to give these holidays on specific dates.

Often holiday is granted depending on how many other employees plan to take time off at the same time.

It’s usually on first to book off is granted the leave.

Getting in requests early can make it more likely that you’ll get the leave you want.  

Always get time off approved before you pay for holidays or make other plans to avoid have to pay any fees to rearrange or cancel.

Benchmark chief executive Ed Dymott has said he does not want the business to be referred to as a “consolidator”.

“We don’t like the term ‘consolidator’,” he said, on a panel at the Lang Cat’s HomeGame 4 event in Edinburgh today (3 October).

He said that, although the firm acquires a business on average every six weeks, the majority are “businesses we already know”.

“What’s different about our business model is that most of these firms have been with us for quite some time, typically between five and 10 years,” he said.

“They’ve become familiar with our operations and are integrated into what we do. Ultimately, as part of their exit planning, we often provide a smooth transition into our company.”

He said that ‘consolidators’ are typically businesses backed by private equity, which often has a “clear end goal” in mind.

“This approach comes with the perception that everything is geared towards reaching a specific outcome within three to five years,” he said, at the event.

“However, our business is a financial planning firm owned by Schroders, and we are a long-term investment for them. This long-term focus forms the core of our business.

“When it comes to client relationships, we operate like any other financial planning firm, concentrating on how to maintain and grow these relationships over time.

“This is the primary driver of our business model and influences everything we do. Our client propositions and support are all geared towards long-term relationships.”

Benchmark sets out ambitious growth plans following Unique purchase

There are around 35 private equity-backed consolidated businesses in the advice space.

“The typical cycle with private equity involves these businesses eventually seeking an exit. At some point, there may be an oversupply in the market,” said Dymott.

“Many people wonder if there will be a consolidator of the consolidators – who knows, it’s an interesting trend to observe.”

He said the ‘breakaway adviser’ trend could prove a big challenge to the consolidation model in the future.

“One of the areas we specifically target is what we call the ‘breakaway adviser’ segment. These are experienced financial planners setting up their own businesses.

“And our primary source of lead generation at the moment comes from consolidators.

“These are individuals who have been part of a consolidator but are now either breaking away themselves or, more commonly, it’s the teams working under the principals who sold the business.

“Last year, we helped set up 20 new businesses with established financial planners, many of whom came from consolidated firms and wanted to go independent.

“The breakaway adviser trend is fascinating to watch, and it’s essentially the full cycle. It is a potential challenge to the consolidation model.”