DIY shopping during lockdown: Online problems and new DIY store opening times – Which? News
Around half of Which? members (55%) have bought or tried to buy DIY items since the lockdown began, according to a recent survey. But using click and collect and home delivery has been fraught with problems for some.
With physical stores mostly closed for the first few weeks of the lockdown, the vast majority of customers opted for home delivery or click and collect for DIY materials. Where click and collect was available, it was more popular than home delivery at several DIY retailers.
But more than four in 10 (44%) who used click and collect encountered one or more problems, while over a third (35%) who opted for home delivery reported a problem.
Products being out of stock and longer waits than usual for products to be collected or delivered were the top bugbears.
Keep reading to find out which stores are now open if you’d rather avoid the problems of online delivery, plus our advice on shopping safely. Or see the best and worst online DIY retailers, according to their customers.
Home delivery problems for DIY products
Home delivery of DIY products is the most practical option for many who aren’t keen to go in-store. More people in our survey had opted for home delivery of DIY items than click and collect.
Fewer shoppers had problems with home delivery, compared with click and collect, but we still heard from more than one hundred people who had experienced problems.
Top problems with DIY home delivery
The most common problem was the order taking longer than usual to be delivered.
Customers of Amazon and eBay experienced this, with 21% of responses to our survey mentioning this problem with home delivery of DIY items.
In early May, Homebase stopped taking online orders. It said this was temporary and ‘to help [it] catch up with [its] outstanding deliveries’. In late April, the Wickes website advised customers that home delivery lead times were ‘up to 2 weeks’.
The product being out of stock was the next most-common problem for shoppers looking for home delivery in our survey, accounting for 15% of problems.
Home deliveries being delayed and products being more expensive than usual also both accounted for 7% of problems with home delivery.
Two thirds of customers (65%) said they did not have a problem with home delivery for DIY materials.
If you’re keen to get on with some DIY, check out the DIY jobs you shouldn’t attempt yourself (and those you can).
Problems with click and collect of DIY products
Problems with click and collect of DIY productsProducts being out of stock at the local store was the most commonly-reported problem for click and collect customers. This accounted for nearly three in 10 (28%) of the problems reported with click and collect for DIY items in our survey.
Top problems with DIY click and collect services
Nearly six in 10 (58%) of the problems experienced by shoppers using B&Q’s click and collect were products being out of stock.
Having to wait to access the website was the second most-common problem.
Both B&Q and Wickes operated queuing systems to access their websites at the peak of demand while stores were closed. Shoppers in our survey reported waits of up to two hours to access both retailers’ websites.
The third most-reported issue with click and collect overall was that it took longer than usual before customers could collect their product from the store.
B&Q is currently warning customers that ‘extremely high demand’ means that its click and collect service ‘may take several days’.
Got your DIY supplier sorted? See seven DIY projects you can do in a weekend.
Which DIY stores are open?
Most big brand DIY retailers are now re-opening their doors to customers, and most are still offering online services. All have social-distancing measures in place to protect customers and staff.
For information on your shopping rights during lockdown, see our guide to coronavirus: shopping, deliveries and consumer rights.
| Store | Stores open | Opening hours | Click and collect | Home delivery |
| B&Q | Yes, excluding stores in the Republic of Ireland and Guernsey | Mon-Sat 8am-6pm. Sun varies by store | Yes – high demand means orders may take several days. Limited range | Yes – limited range. Deliveries will be left by your front door |
| Dunelm | 39 stores now open | Check with store | Yes – in ‘most’ stores. You can opt to have your item brought to your car. Limited range | Yes – delivery left in a safe place and a card is put through your door |
| Homebase | Yes | Varies by store | No | No |
| Ikea | No | n/a | No | Yes – to the main external entrance of the property |
| Screwfix | No | n/a | Yes – Mon-Sat 8am-5pm (closing 4pm on Wed), Sun 9am-4pm. Next day may take 2-3 days | Yes – delays of 2-3 days |
| Toolstation | No | n/a | Yes – limited range. Hours vary by store | Yes – but no pre-12pm delivery |
| Wickes | Yes, 106 stores open and the remaining 108 open on 19 May | Mon-Sat 7/8am – 4/5pm, store dependent. Sun 10am-4pm | Yes – Mon-Sat only. High demand means some collections won’t be available in 8 hours or next day | Yes – limited product availability. Next day delivery is not available on many products and locations |
| Wilko | Yes | Closing an hour early at 5pm Mon-Sat | No | Yes |
Table correct on 18 May 2020
B&Q
Sunday opening hours differ by store. You can check online. Shoppers should not come in groups of more than two, with no under 16s.
Payment is by card or contactless payment only.
Dunelm
Dunelm plans to open more of its stores soon. The list of stores open so far is available on the Dunelm website. If you don’t wish to enter the shop, Dunelm staff will do your shopping for you.
Click and collect is available in most stores. You can’t get refunds while stores are shut. Purchases made after 1 March will have a 56 day return policy when stores reopen.
Homebase
Individual store opening hours are available on the Homebase website.
Homebase is ‘temporarily not taking online orders to help [it] catch up with [its] outstanding deliveries’. It says it’s an ‘exceptionally busy time’.
It is not offering refunds in store and has extended its returns policy.
Ikea
Ikea says that it is ‘experiencing shortages for some items and longer delivery times than usual’ owing to ‘unprecedented demand’.
Though stores are closed ‘until further notice’, its Swedish food markets are open in Croydon, Greenwich, Manchester and Tottenham for essential workers, carers and the most vulnerable to buy essentials – and its Swedish food range.
It is not accepting returns, including return collection from home or via return lockers, while stores are closed.
Screwfix
Home delivery ‘may be subject to delays’ and the usual range of stock isn’t available. It is not selling personal protective equipment (PPE) for DIY projects, to ensure it goes to key workers.
Some stores have reduced opening hours for click and collect, listed on the Screwfix website.
Toolstation
Opening hours for click and collect vary by store – see the Toolstation website.
Refunds and exchanges aren’t available at the moment.
Wickes
Wickes trialled opening six stores initially and the remainder of its shops will open in two stages. See the full list of which Wickes stores are open, and when.
The number of customers allowed in-store at once will be limited. It is only accepting card and contactless payments. It is not processing refunds until its stores are fully open.
Wilko
More products are out of stock than normal and some products in high demand are available in-store only.
Some deliveries may be delayed ‘due to an increased volume of orders’. Tills are card-only.
Some DIY stores have also re-opened their kitchen planning services, often by virtual appointment. Use our guide to the best fitted kitchen brands to help you decide where to buy.
Alternative DIY shopping options
We’ve heard from some DIY enthusiasts turning to local shops rather than relying on the big brands during lockdown.
Some have used local builder’s merchants to get supplies, while others have found local independent retailers stocking DIY essentials.
Stay safe when shopping in DIY stores
Stay safe when shopping in DIY storesRe-opened DIY stores have a range of measures in place to keep customers and staff safe. These include:
- Limiting the number of customers inside the store at once
- Providing hand sanitiser
- Marking out two metre social distancing guidelines in-store
The government now advises that everyone wears face coverings in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not possible.
Use our guide to buying face masks and making face masks to help you stay safe when shopping.
Which? research about buying DIY products online
Data is from an online survey of 1,251 members of the Which? Connect panel in May 2020.