Wickes opens six stores – full list of branches
WICKES stores are now open in some areas - but with new restrictions due to Covid-19.
Here's everything you need to know.
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The business stayed open online after DIY stores were included on the list of “essential” stores that should remain open during the coronavirus pandemic.
The hardware retailer says it's working out "the best operation to support customers in these unprecedented times".
Other establishments that are allowed to open include supermarkets, pharmacies, newsagents, banks and Post Offices.
Vets, pet shops, petrol stations, launderettes, off licences and hardware stores will also keep doors open for customers.
Which Wickes stores are open?
Some branches opened their doors on April 30.
The stores open currently are: Pudsey, Cheltenham, Preston, Sevenoaks, Cricklewood and Hailsham.
They will be using social-distancing, with customers and staff encouraged to keep 2metres apart.
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.
They will be open from 7am - 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Sundays.
Wickes' reopened stores during lockdown
- Cheltenham
- Cricklewood
- Hailsham
- Preston
- Pudsey
- Sevenoaks
Can you still click and collect?
Most Wickes stores are closed but you can still click and collect, with customers able to pick up items outside the front entrance of shops.
Click and collect orders can only be placed from 6am to 4pm Monday to Saturday, not on Sundays, and only on a more limited range.
Stores also also operating under reduced hours, so make sure you check the to see when yours is open.
Before the coronavirus lockdown, stores typically opened between 6am and 9am, and closed at 8pm, depending on where you live.
Wickes has 230 stores in the UK.
Can I still order from Wickes online?
Yes, you can still order items for home delivery from the Wickes website - but the retailer is experiencing high demand.
It has adopted an online queuing system during busy times on the website. Waiting times range from 12 mins, as seen below, to over an hour on April 9.
Wickes also hasn't mentioned if it's prioritising certain orders.
The retailer said: "As these are particularly busy periods for us, availability may at times be limited so please bear with us.
"We are currently experiencing particularly high volume of demand and are unlikely to have availability for Next Day delivery on most lines and locations."
Wickes charges £2.95 for delivery for small parcels, or free delivery on orders over £75.
Its click and collect option is only available for essential items during the least busiest hours of the day - you can find out when they are .
The service is not available on Sundays.
A notice on the DIY store's website reads: "Click and Collect order volumes are very high at the moment - collections can be as long as 8hrs or Next Day.
"Please do not come to stores if you have not had a confirmation that your order is picked and ready."
We've also rounded up the opening times of B&Q and Homebase stores.
Are hairdressers open today or will they be closed due to coronavirus?
A number of restaurants have started to open including Greggs, KFC and Costa Coffee.