Wickes to reopen small number of stores as it introduces social distancing measures

DIY chain Wickes has announced plans it will reopen six stores with strict social distancing measures in place – a month after the government said we were entering lockdown.

Stores in Pudsey, Cheltenham, Preston, Sevenoaks, Cricklewood and Hailsham will open to the public on Thursday, April 30.

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Each shop will limit the number of customers in the shop at any one time, while clear signs and floor markers will advise customers to keep two metres apart.

Perspex screens are now in place at the tills and service stations – similarly to Boots and other stores – and colleagues on the shop floor will be using PPE.

Sanitising stations have been installed for customer use and the stores will only accept card and contactless payments.

In addition to the new social distancing measures, the trial stores will operate shorter opening hours on Monday to Saturday, opening at 7am and closing at 6pm. Sunday is set to revert back to the trading hours of 10am to 4pm.

Its website remains open for sales, with click and collect and home delivery still running.

A spokeswoman for the store said services such as timber cutting and paint mixing will not be available during the trial period and showroom kitchen and bathroom design appointments are only available to customers virtually.

Refunds will be unavailable until all Wickes stores open fully in keeping with the retailer’s extended policy, she added.

To see if one of the six stores is near to your home, shoppers should use the , or call ahead before making the journey.

Wickes has more than 230 stores in the UK.

It comes after DIY stores have seen unprecedented demand during the outbreak.

B&Q closed every branch of its stores last month but has since reopened 155 stores.

Last week Homebase announced it was reopening 20 of its stores after solely offering a click and collect service and online deliveries during lockdown.

Halfords shut several initially under government advice, it has since reopened 446 stores after it was listed as an “essential service” by the government.