Now that DIY specialists have reopened their doors, they must focus on building consumer trust as 31.6% of UK shoppers say they would not consider visiting a DIY store that has reopened*, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Amy Higginbotham, Retail Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The most cited reason among respondents is that they do not consider DIY to be an essential purchase (34.0%), followed by concerns about other shoppers not adhering to social distancing rules (32.0%). It is important, therefore, that retailers not only introduce social distancing measures, but effectively enforce and communicate these changes to customers.”

Long queues are also deterring some shoppers from visiting (26.1%), with B&Q and Homebase receiving negative press coverage as stores began to open at the end of April.

Higginbotham, continues: “DIY retailers must think carefully about how best to manage this, and should consider implementing measures such as virtual queuing systems – a technology that ASDA is already trialling. This allows shoppers to join a virtual queue on their phones, and stay in the car until it is their turn to enter the store. Introducing and encouraging shoppers to use alternative fulfilment options such as contactless click & collect, where staff bring items out to shoppers’ cars, would also help alleviate queues.”

*Data is taken from GlobalData’s survey of 2,000 nationally representative UK consumers conducted in May 2020.