Mica DIY
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersEdgbaston, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Mica DIY firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mica DIY
- Legal name
- Mica DIY Ltd
- Website
- https://micahardware.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mica DIY industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Buying Group / Cooperative Services
- NAICS
- All Other Support Services (561990)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Buying Clubs & Community Bulk Purchasing Co-ops (CRAHALAE)
Keywords
Where Mica DIY is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edgbaston
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Mica DIY business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Share Capital: One-off membership fee invested in share capital of the cooperative, returned to members. No recurring annual fees charged to members.
- Group Buying Terms: Negotiates collective buying terms with major DIY/hardware brands. Members benefit from competitive group pricing without high volume commitments. The cooperative takes a margin or receives rebates from suppliers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Mica DIY product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mica DIY Ltd operates the UK's only member-owned co-operative dedicated exclusively to supporting independent DIY, hardware, home and garden retailers. It provides collective buying power with major brands, monthly advertising brochures, in-store POS materials, digital marketing campaigns, and retail development services. Members gain access to negotiated supplier terms, exclusive rebates, e-commerce website provision, and a private member portal with pricelists and stock ordering.
Product overview
Mica DIY is a retailer cooperative offering a unified platform of services for independent hardware and DIY stores. The core offering centers on cooperative membership providing collective buying power and marketing support, supplemented by e-commerce website provision, retail manager support, access to Bira services, and member portal access. The company facilitates group purchasing from major brands, provides ready-to-use advertising campaigns and POS materials, and organizes annual Exchange events for networking and supplier engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retailer Co-operative Membership Member-owned co-operative offering that provides independent DIY and hardware retailers with collective buying power, marketing support, retail guidance, and access to exclusive supplier deals across the UK.
- Group Buying Program Collective purchasing program leveraging the combined buying power of 50+ member stores to secure competitive pricing and exclusive deals with major hardware and DIY brands, allowing members to benefit from group pricing without high individual volume commitments.
- Marketing and Advertising Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Record rebates returned to members at 2015 AGM
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Mica DIY
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Mica DIY technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Mica DIY partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Bira (British Independent Retailers Association)coreFollowing amendment to Mica Co-operative Constitution in August 2019, Mica became a division of the Bira Group. This partnership provides members with strength in numbers while Mica remains an independent cooperative company. Members automatically receive Bira membership benefits including banking products via Birmingham Bank, business insurance, competitive card processing rates, legal advice and protection, and retail training courses.
- Rodo LtdcoreLeading supplier of decorating sundry products. Named Main Event Sponsor for Mica Exchange 2023. Awarded as 2024 Mica Supplier of the Year.
- STV Pest ControlmajorMain Event Sponsor for 2024 Mica Exchange. Provides pest control products to member stores.
- Draper ToolsmajorRegular sponsor of Facebook prize draws and supplier partner providing power tools, pressure washers, and Stormforce tool sets.
- DuluxmajorMajor paint brand partner. Provided prizes for competitions including £50 vouchers and Fluffy Plush Dogs. Products promoted through Mica brochures and events.
- Evergreen Garden CaremajorPartnership for garden products including Miracle-Gro and Levington. Sponsoring basket of Evergreen products giveaway on Mica Facebook page.
- Spring FaircoreMica partners with Spring Fair through its DIY & Home Improvement Hall. First year partnership in 2017 was successful with 3,500+ DIY-interested visitors. Renewed for 2018 with expanded hall space.
- Rainy Day TrustminorIndustry charity supporting those in the hardware industry who have fallen on hard times. Mica announced official partnership in 2014. Mica Exchange Gala Dinners regularly raise funds through raffles - over £900 raised at 2017 event, over £700 at 2012 event, over £1,000 in 2023.
- Stanley Black & DeckermajorGlobal tool manufacturer providing product bundles for Mica prize draws including tool assortments.
- Akzo Nobel GroupmajorMain event sponsor for Mica Exchange 2012. Major paint and coatings brand partner.
- RonsealmajorWood protection and garden paint brand. Ran joint colouring competition and promotional campaigns with Mica stores.
- TowerminorSupplier of kitchen and household appliances. Provided Digital Handheld Garment Steamer for prize draw in February 2026.
- Burg WachterminorSecurity and postal products supplier. Provided Swale Post Box for prize draw in June 2026.
- MasterplugminorElectrical accessories supplier. Provided Double Socket Travel Extension Leads for prize draw in May 2026.
- Stax Trade CentresmajorWholesale distribution partner. Joint MD David Hibbert commented on Spring Fair partnership. Donated wide-screen TV for charity auction.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mica DIY competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Travis Perkins: UK's largest builders' merchant and home improvement supplier group. Relevant incumbent adjacent to Mica's hardware/DIY member stores on the trade and heavy-side categories where independents increasingly cede share.
- Bestway Wholesale: UK wholesale and symbol-group operator delivering collective buying terms, own-brand ranges and retail support to independent retailers. Comparable in pooling buying power for independents, though primarily food-led and larger than Mica.
- Bira Group (British Independent Retailers Association): Mica became a division of Bira in 2019; Bira is the broader UK trade association that provides banking, insurance, legal and training services to independent retailers across multiple verticals. Directly comparable as the umbrella organisation whose services Mica members consume and which sets the strategic frame for the cooperative.
- The Co-operative Group: UK's largest consumer co-operative. Comparable member-owned democratic governance and rebate/dividend model, though operating at vastly greater scale across food, pharmacy, funerals and other retail categories rather than DIY.
- Kingfisher (B&Q, Screwfix): UK's largest DIY and home improvement retailer operating B&Q and Screwfix. Mica's core competitive context – the vertically integrated big-box chains whose scale and private-label programmes Mica members compete against on price and range.
Others
- John Lewis Partnership: UK employee-owned retail partnership with democratic governance and profit-sharing. Not a direct competitor but thematically the most prominent UK mutual/partnership retail model demonstrating the resilience and limits of member-owned retail structures.
Regional players
- Central England Co-operative: Member-owned retail co-operative serving the Midlands – including Birmingham, where Mica is headquartered. Directly comparable democratic, member-returns cooperative structure though operating food/convenience rather than hardware retail.
- The Midcounties Co-operative: UK regional retail co-operative operating convenience, food and related retail formats under a member-owned democratic structure. Comparable governance and member-ownership model, though serving different product categories and geographies.
Direct peers
- Associated Independent Stores (AIS): UK buying group serving independent convenience, hardware and home retailers with collective buying, own-label ranges and marketing services. Comparable cooperative/buying-group model servicing independent retailers across overlapping product categories.
- H&B (Hardware & Building) Buying Group: UK buying group serving independent hardware, builders' merchants and DIY retailers with collective purchasing terms and marketing support. Structurally the closest direct peer to Mica's cooperative buying model in the same hardware/DIY vertical.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mica DIY social profiles
Digital presenceMica DIY financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mica DIY leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Mica DIY funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mica DIY M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mica DIY
What does Mica DIY do?
Mica DIY Ltd operates the UK's only member-owned co-operative dedicated exclusively to supporting independent DIY, hardware, home and garden retailers. It provides collective buying power with major brands, monthly advertising brochures, in-store POS materials, digital marketing campaigns, and retail development services. Members gain access to negotiated supplier terms, exclusive rebates, e-commerce website provision, and a private member portal with pricelists and stock ordering.
Is Mica DIY a public or private company?
Mica DIY is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Mica DIY founded?
Mica DIY was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mica DIY based?
Mica DIY is headquartered in Edgbaston, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Mica DIY make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Share Capital is the primary driver. The others are group Buying Terms.
Who are Mica DIY's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Travis Perkins, Bestway Wholesale, Bira Group (British Independent Retailers Association), The Co-operative Group and Kingfisher (B&Q, Screwfix). John Lewis Partnership is listed as an others. Regional players are Central England Co-operative and The Midcounties Co-operative. Direct peers are Associated Independent Stores (AIS) and H&B (Hardware & Building) Buying Group.
Does Mica DIY have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mica DIY.
What industry is Mica DIY in?
Mica DIY's product category is Retail Buying Group / Cooperative Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHALAE, Buying Clubs & Community Bulk Purchasing Co-ops. Its NAICS code is 561990 and its SIC code is 8600.