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The DIY shops still open and delivering across the UK during the new national lockdown

If you find yourself getting stuck into some home improvement jobs while indoors, here's where you can still get supplies

Louise Whitbread,Sarah Jones
Tuesday 05 January 2021 14:21 GMT
Hardware shops like B&Q and Homebase are considered ‘essential’ retail by the government (Getty )  
Hardware shops like B&Q and Homebase are considered ‘essential’ retail by the government (Getty )   (Getty)

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On Monday 4 January, prime minister Boris Johnson announced a new national lockdown across England, which will come into force at midnight on 5 January.

The new measures mean that everyone is required to stay at home other than for limited exceptions and all non-essential shops will be forced to close. The latest rules will stay in place until at least mid-February.

If tackling a homewares project has moved up your to-do list in light of the latest lockdown.

As we will be remaining indoors – apart from essential trips for food, medicine or exercise – taking on a homewares project might have moved up your to-do list but putting up that shelf or giving your living room a fresh lick of paint all require a handful of tools that you may not already have.

Which is where DIY stores come in. While many had to closed their doors during the first lockdown, this time round hardware shops are allowed to remain open and can also continue to sell products online.

This is because hardware stores fall under shops that are considered by the government to be essentials as they stock items that help keep homes warm, safe and accessible to power. These are the DIY stores across the UK to shop in-store and online today.

You can trust our independent roundups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

Following the latest announcement, Wickes has made a number changes to the way it is operating, including  limiting the number of customers in our stores to a maximum of 30 at a time. All of its stores will remain open during lockdown from 9am to 6pm, however opening times may vary. You can find out the opening times of your local store here. 

The retailer is also offering a click and collect service that allows customers to collect their orders within one working hour.

Wickes has also confirmed that its delivery slots are currently available up to seven days in advance and that it will continue to release additional delivery slots daily.

Shop at Wickes now

B&Q stores are open for business during the third coronavirus lockdown in England, however there will be strict social distancing measures in place. 

Most stores are open from 7am until 8pm from Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays, however these times may vary depending on location.

Its online service is also available for both click and collect and home delivery. When buying online, simply choose click and collect and select which store you want to pick up your order from. It will then be ready within one hour, unless the store is closing sooner in which case it will be the next day.

You can buy online and get delivery to your home too. Next day and named day delivery costs £5 or is free for orders over £50, while there's an additional £5 fee for Sunday delivery.

Larger items are £10 or free on orders over £250 and for bulk delivery it's £30 or free on orders over £350.

Shop at B&Q now

Finishing that DIY project you've had on your to-do list by shopping for tools and equipment online (Getty)
Finishing that DIY project you've had on your to-do list by shopping for tools and equipment online (Getty) (Getty Images)

Ikea stores have shut in accordance with government advice but it is still accepting online orders. The Swedish homeware retailer is open online for home deliveries, as well as for click and collect from all stores, with the exception of Belfast. It has reassured customers that it has implemented thorough safety measures for both services.

Once the stores reopen, returns will be accepted as normal.

Delivery costs start from £3.95 for smaller items and from £39 for larger deliveries. All deliveries are contact-free.

Shop at Ikea now

Screwfix has confirmed that all 700 of its stores will remain open across the UK, adding that there are safety measures in place that mean customers can continue to shop safely.  All stores are open from 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm Saturday and 9am to 4pm Sunday.

The retailer is also offering a click and collect service for safe contact-free collection at store. When collecting items in store, Screwfix asks people to respect the social distancing measures it has put in place.

Home delivery is also an option, costing £5 for next-day delivery on orders less than £50, while if you spend more than £50, delivery is free. The cut-off time for next-day delivery is 4pm.

Shop at Screwfix now

As an essential retailer, all of Homebase’s stores will remain open so that it can continue to provide products and services for people.

The store is advising customers to visit its website in the first instance, before making a trip to store, where there is also an opportunity to utilise its click and collect service. If you choose this option, the team will have your items ready for you to collect within one hour.

Homebase is also running online deliveries as normal. Its  standard delivery service is free and available on most products but you can also opt for next and named day delivery, which starts at £6. Delivery to your local store costs £2.

Shop at Homebase now

Read our guides on information for supermarket delivery slots, supermarket opening times, Amazon deliveries  and food subscription deliveries.

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