Walker Greenbank Share Discussion Threads

[netcurtains] 08/9/2020 09:53

You're right of course. I remember wallpapering our old toilet room in London Toile (Timerous Beasties) £108 a roll:


In the scheme of things £108 is not a lot if the room is very small!!!

A lot of people use expensive wallpapers to cover small areas like a fireplace or a toilet room and its a quick and easy DIY project that does not take a lot of expertise but can add a lot of intangible value to a room.

I remember selling a house for quite a tidy sum probably because a lot of people liked the bright and breezy online photo of the fireplace area with expensive wallpaper above it - just one roll. A really good DIY investment

[bookbroker] 08/9/2020 09:41

Often depends upon the price of the roll, and the household, but each to their own!

[netcurtains] 08/9/2020 09:33

bookbroker: WILLIAM MORRIS - The whole concept behind his art is DIY...

If you look at Head of Sales at WGB SARAH STEWART she has come from the DIY background (about 10 years at Kingfisher eg B&Q):


You have your head in the sands if you dont think at least 50% (probably a great deal more) of WGB stock is sold for DIY

Speaking for myself I always wallpaper DIY - its really easy.

[bookbroker] 08/9/2020 09:24

Nonetheless as long as the demand continues for WGB it does not matter who buys their products.

[bookbroker] 08/9/2020 09:22

Lot of talk here about DIY., brands that are sold through WGB more likely to appeal to more high spec properties rather than general market, and thus those folk tend to employ pros. to decorate interiors, but it is certainly beneficial when it is the more affluent, professionals in big city centres who are re-locating to the country as a result of coronavirus, and working more from home and less in the office.

[netcurtains] 08/9/2020 09:06

Travis Perkins:



Group like-for-like sales trends in July and August have returned to close to prior year levels which is supported by domestic RMI and current strong trading in consumer DIY markets.

[netcurtains] 08/9/2020 07:39

Good results from Ashtead PLC (FTSE 100) - some of those results in USA include DIY.

Waiting to hear from Travis Perkins next (Wickes, City Plumbing etc) - they do sell Wallpapers so will give a general sense if DIY Wallpaper is selling well.

[netcurtains] 07/9/2020 18:50

The WGB story.
(see chart)


In 2017 the share was trading at 200p-250p range (its now 57p).

At end of 2017 it plummeted to 100p-140p range (still 100% higher than now).

The reason for the fall to 100-140 was falling demand in the UK (recession)
and flooding back in 2015 (from shares magazine see link below)

If you look at shares magazine it was talking about recovery to about 270p by 2019.


So how did we end up with a share price of 57p and almost a NETNET stock?


No idea... However I do know there is currently a DIY boom and I expect
WGB to have made some money from this boom (unless others know otherwise).

This DIY boom will last for a long time as people will be working from home for yonks (some will never go back) and then we have a stamp duty holiday until end of March 2021.

Say I'm being overly optimistic and £1 is not achievable this year and StudentInvestors 90p is also unachievable I think we should at least get to 70-80p range this year.
I mean there is a DIY boom.

[netcurtains] 07/9/2020 13:13

FrugalTree3: The update was indeed good! And Travis Perkins tomorrow (owners of Wickes).
colefax is another quoted "wallpaper" company.

Some on this board now say WGB is at "fair value" - I am a "super bull" so I'm not going to give you an unbiased opinion - but I think £1 a share within reasonable time frame seems reasonable.

I think (not sure) that studentInvestor thinks 90p (but he might have changed his view)

[frugaltree3] 07/9/2020 11:25

Bought into WGB, on the back of Dunelms update. There is mounting evidence that holiday cash is going towards home improvement and DIY. H1 results in October could prompt a significant rerating?

As I'm new, just wondered, are there any likely acquirers of this business? - Who is the main competition in the sub-sector?

And, it was quite difficult to get the stock - I had to buy in 2 shapes to get to my (very modest!) unit size.

[netcurtains] 07/9/2020 10:41

Its worth noting that the hyper on-trend BBC detective series: "Srike - Lethal White" BBC1 - 9pm - had wallpaper in every interior location apart from the blind ladies house.

To be "on trend" during a DIY boom is probably a good thing.

[netcurtains] 07/9/2020 09:41

Anyway I convinced myself if no one else... Got a few Ashtead and Travis Perkins - both up today - one big in USA the other in UK - TP owns Wikes which does sell Wallpaper.

[netcurtains] 06/9/2020 16:42

DIY: Paint V Wallpaper
If you have kids and want to decorate your house, its MILES better to use wallpaper.

You get instant gratification as wallpaper goes on - paint needs two or more coats and if you're painting in the evening the artificial light makes it difficult to see if you need another coat.

And most important of all, paint will get all over the house. Yes you put a groundsheet on the floor of the one room you're painting but as soon as you drip paint on that groundsheet it will get on the kids feet (or yours) and it will end up all over the house.

Wallpaper is relatively quick, gives you far more choices of styles, artwork and colours and does not wreck the rest of the house.

Cheers Net.

[bookbroker] 06/9/2020 08:52

John Lewis has had it, it is slowly downsizing to the point that its stores will simply become fulfilment centres, if WGB has to rely on them being its largest customer then it really is Netcurtains!

[studentinvestor13] 06/9/2020 00:23

I think you are on the money netcurtains. What the recovery looks like will be dependent on their true customer mix. It is obvious from my posts that I like this story

[bookbroker] 05/9/2020 22:51

John Lewis, ur avin a laff, WGB generally uses upper end independent furnishing stores to sell brands like Sanderson, Zoffany, etc to the masses, that is why their turnover is around about the £100mln mark, not Dunelm Mill , B and M. The reason their turnover down big was the lockdown, now that has lifted they are benefitting from the improvement in the regional property markets as affluent city dwellers want to move out of the smoke.

[netcurtains] 05/9/2020 22:22

StudentInvestor13: I think I'm very confident in DIY boom and since "work from home" is mainly middle classes (eg "office workers") , I think the boom is in particular "middle class".

I take your point concerning John Lewis nevertheless there is a DIY boom. It depends on how good WGB is at selling goods to people like WEB DEVELOPERS and other tech savie people working from home using Amazon (etc) as a buying portal.

[studentinvestor13] 05/9/2020 21:45

If you think the only people renovating at the moment are the upper class that buy WGB products your head is deep in the sand. I think the middle class is far outspending the upper class, which is what Im saying.

[bookbroker] 05/9/2020 21:19

What meaningless drivel Post 4241 speaks off, the wealthy are the only ones who can afford to relocate to the countryside, and likewise have the disposable income to invest in their properties. We are not talking off council house dwellers who buy WGB products, we are talking off high end interior furnishing companies who advise the affluent. Cease analysing Wally, and think a little!

[studentinvestor13] 05/9/2020 21:08

we sell into the premium and luxury markets

[netcurtains] 05/9/2020 17:24

If you look at the arts and crafts online portal - ETSY - its share price has gone up from 20 cents low in March to $1.20 now (eg 600% rise) - eg 600% rise....



In UK DIY Kingfisher share price up 40% on the year, about 90% up since March.

Arts Crafts (including buying Musical goods online - eg G4M share price also up 600% since march) and DIY are the big winners..

WGB results in October?

Typical ETSY William Morris item:


Dulux have to limit orders as paint demand during lockdown gone through the roof:


HobbyCraft online sales up 200% due to lockdown:


Wallpaper going through the roof:

[hotfinance14] 04/9/2020 17:30

Will you be toppimg up Daisy ?