As part of our 50th-year celebrations, we're taking you behind the scenes to find out more about how Axminster Tools grew from a small high-street shop to the global retailer of today. We began by sharing the Axminster Tools story, as told by the family behind the business. In this latest instalment, we turn our attention to the tools.

We’ve spent the past 50 years building our family business into the renowned organisation it is today. We’re specialists who share our customers’ passion for great craftsmanship and a job well done. It's why we're committed to finding the very best tools for the job. Meet more of the people behind the business as they explain how we source the tools you need.

Made in Britain

We know that our customers want to make informed decisions about what they buy and that they’re interested in the origin and sustainability of products. Local sourcing of products plays a part in that and, as a British retailer, we're proud to support British design and quality.

We are working with a number of UK suppliers in celebration of the nation's skills and craftsmanship. To help identify which are made in the UK, we mark home-grown brands with the Union flag logo. What's more, we manufacture an increasing number of our own products in our Axminster based engineering facility in Devon, including bringing manufacturing back from overseas in many cases.

UJK Axminster Professional
Axminster Workshop Axminster Woodturning
Axcaliber Rider

Building relationships

We work hard to build great relationships with our customers, putting them at the heart of everything we do. Likewise, it's important to us that we work closely with our suppliers, building trust and loyalty from both sides. In fact, we don't think of our suppliers as suppliers but as partners. These partnerships have helped us source the very best tools for the job; through working together, sharing ideas and listening to customer feedback.

As well as supporting a number of specialist UK companies, we source products from around the world. We constantly review our partnerships to ensure we meet the high standards we set for ourselves and that our customers have come to expect.


A sustainable future

We’re constantly seeking new ways to support a sustainable environment and have a positive impact. As part of our environmental commitment, we have reduced the amount of plastic in the packaging of our own products. Our dispatch packaging is now 100% recyclable, even down to the paper tape used to seal the boxes. We're working with our suppliers to reduce the amount of plastic used in other products with the aim to eliminate single use plastic altogether. 


Hands on

We have eight stores around the UK and they are a great place to talk tools, machinery and projects with our knowledgeable experts. It's also an opportunity to get hands on with the tools. We have partners across the world who stock a large range of our own branded tools and machines so our overseas customers can get hands on too.

We've seen strong communities built around our stores and through our free online platforms and live videos. We enjoy watching these communities grow around a shared passion for woodworking and the tools that come with it.

Our 50th year

As we continue to celebrate our 50th year we'll delve deeper into the product range and take a much closer look at our Axminster based state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. We'll also meet more of the people behind the business and explore a passion for all things woodworking.