PRINT THIS PAGE Duke Street's DIY retailer Focus Wickes put up for sale29/11/2004. Source: AltAssets. 
 Focus Wickes, the UK DIY retailer owned by Duke Street Capital and Apax, has reportedly attracted some interest from potential buyers and is now formally up for sale, according to press reports. A sale would provide Duke Street with a full exit from one of its largest investments.
Focus Wickes is the UK's second-largest DIY retailer in terms of turnover. The company was founded by its present chairman Bill Archer in 1987. Duke Street is the largest shareholder but Apax bought a third of the company in 2002 to provide a partial exit.
Duke Street tried to float the company in 2002 but pulled the float due to poor stock market conditions. The exact nature of the outcome remains unclear, with a trade sale, secondary sale or a recapitalisation all considered possibilities. Any exit, however, would provide a boost to Duke Street's fundraising ambitions, which are believed to involve a return to the market within the next 12 months.
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