B&Q in Newport has re-opened its doors for the first time in over a month this morning (Monday).
Around 50 shoppers joined the queue earlier on in anticipation of stocking up on those items so desperately sought during the lockdown period. The store is limiting the number of customers allowed in at any one time, meaning shoppers can expect to queue for some time.
B&Q stores across the country closed on 25th March and have only been accommodating click & collect orders since. However, visitors to the diy.com website have been met with a virtual queue of over an hour.
The Isle of Wight’s only store has now re-opened in response to the ever-changing national picture but services such as kitchen and bathroom design, paint mixing and timber cutting are not thought to be available. The store’s on-site cafe is closed.
B&Q Newport is open between 08:00-17:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00-16:00 on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the hardware giant has said:
“As an essential retailer, we’re committed to providing the best possible service to support customers’ home improvement needs at this difficult time, while keeping customers and colleagues safe.
“Having watched other essential retailers support social distancing in their stores, we are now following their best practice and are re-opening some stores with strict social distancing measures in place.
Article continues below this advertisement “Similar to shopping at a supermarket, we’re strictly limiting the number of customers in store at any one time, and so customers are typically queueing before entering stores.
“All stores have a designated queuing area outside and these have two metre markers to help remind everyone to respect each other’s personal space.”
Seriously is opening bq a essential travel….no I don’t think so and we get it drummed in to us STAY at home only go out for ESSENTIAL travel ….
Disgusting essential I think not. Mixed messages, so now your be able to get in your cars from anywhere on the island so you can stand in a queue for hours for probally non essential paint or gardening items. Ridiculous. Self employed Trade I can understand. So you can be fined if you drive out to take exercise or take the dog for a walk because of the risk of Breakdown or accident but it ok to go B&Q. Why should this be allowed to trade when loads of Buissinesses have been forced to close. Screwfix and Toolstation next. Numbers are now up on the island and will go up even more as B&Q have now set the president.
Just take a look around everyone is out doing there thing. Everyone suddenly has a push bike everyones now a hiker. It’s no different to standing in a que at asda and then going inside and rubbing shoulders with everyone and breathing the same air which has been going on this whole time and morrisons. As for being fined that’s bs I have been out driving everyday for a nice long walk to the beach or wherever. I have seen the police everytime and not done a thing except smile at me. Just go to Seaview or seagrove Bay you’ll fined toff nose family’s sat on the beach drinking champs and having a lovely day out. One rule for one maybe there… Its all a big joke think you got more chance of getting hit by a bus than getting the virus.
Well let’s hope you’re right Joe and you don’t find yourself on a Covid-19 ward in a couple of weeks time
Profit before lives,
Doesn’t sound a good idea to me 50 people queueing outside it maybe less people in the store but there’s far more outside surely it’s not worth the risk for unessential shopping
This is why cases have jumped to 100 here on the Island! Not only B&Q but The Range in Cowes…… How can anything they sell in The Range be classed as essential? That’s why people seem to think ‘lockdown’ is over. I don’t understand what people don’t get about this. It’s a matter of life and death…..
no debby it is not a matter of life or death for 99.98% of the population – the vast majority are either not affected at all, have symptoms but not really ill, or are ill, but not to the point of needing to see a Dr or go to a hospital.
The UK death rate of 0.02% of the entire 66 million population means that, this is only affecting an extremely small minority overall.
If you feel you need to be at home, then stay at home – stop expecting everyone else to carry on doing the same.
People need to access shops such as B and Q, to carry out maintenance on their homes.
Stop allowing yourself to be spoon fed by the panic driven, headline grabbing, scare mongering mainstream media.
Even this social distancing wasn’t derived from any scientific research – just dreamt up out of thin air.
Dont forget its not so much to stop people getting the virus but to help our hard working hospital from being inundated.
Unbelievable!!!!! Stay at home !!!!!!
Can’t go out surfing or fishing which your prob be on your own away from anyone but you can go stand in a queue for b&q!!
Absolute rubbish!!
I totally agree with u on that
This is a sensible decision and part of the move towards the normalisation of society again.
People seem to forget – Nhs, transport, mail, banking, supermarkets, southern water, british gas, electric, BT, island roads, farmers, other food producers and many others have been working as normal throughout this lockdown. They haven’t had the luxury of hiding away indoors. If they had of done so, then all of you would be sat in the dark, with no food, no water and certainly no internet to whine and cry about people going out on.
If the snowflake panic brigade want to stay in and hide, with others that need to take responsibility for themselves and stay indoors, then perhaps they should do so and stop expecting the rest of us to follow suit.
Look at the motorways today – packed – people have gone back to work and are ignoring the governments dithering.
we are getting back to normal -with or without you.
Non essential Travel only, some companys you have named are essential if you think different and let’s get back to normal how many more lives have to be lost to selfish people like you. Maybe you would be a fabulous candidate to go and work on the frontline with covid 19 patients. Think about those People at the front line risking there own lives but the lives of there own family’s. Maybe your think differently if one of your family members get this. Stupid person.
i am already working every day and have been since before the lockdown started and see people every day, face to face. Go and hide indoors then – whilst the rest of us are out here working.
get real snowflakes .
Well said titch
It’s no wonder you’ve posted your comment anonymously. It’s people with your selfish attitude who are spreading this disease around and why we now have over 100 cases here on the Island. You’re risking peoples lives! What don’t you understand about that?
@debby –
The uk has a 0.02% death rate, against the total population overall so far for this virus with a lockdown
sweden has a 0.02% death rate, against the total population overall so far for this virus with no lockdown –
waste of time this lockdown.
Sweden are following exactly the same guidelines and restrictions as we are, distancing, non-essential travel working from home….it’s just not labelled ‘lockdown’. I guess they’re grown up and much more socially responsible than many people here who can’t follow the rules even when the government has told you to stay at home.
Discusting! People running this island are thick! It’ll wipe us all out, people can’t keep their kids in, shops reopening, chavs sat in groups drinking, loads still to stupid to follow the rules, waste of time
Essential my backside, and as to queue no way, this is just the place with everybody touching the stuff will cause the problems ,keep out stay at home save at least island lives and our NHS
Seems to be a relaxation of rules for businesses and car use…I would like to see our council relax rules for residents to travel to island beaches to walk….we are unique on the island to be surrounded by empty beaches with plenty of space ….definitely more than the 2m required ….
The days when all light bulbs were a standard bayonet fitting are long gone, I expect most houses now require several types from small and large bayonets and Edison screws to GU sizes and specialist bulbs in between, since lockdown I’ve had to use the couple of spares I had in the house.
The two gang light switch at the bottom of the stairs broke, the rocker switch just jammed for some reason and, although spared it so far, taps start to drip before they gush.
The B&Q click and collect website at first crashed and, far from an hour wait, was frequently listing a wait of over three hours just to get on line, all other hardware and electrical shops were closed and supermarkets only carry a very limited stock of some items.
There are too many ignorant people on here trying to dictate their very limited version of ‘essential’ which doesn’t seem to include the very basic levels of household maintenance and safety.
Well done B&Q
yes mariner – well said – if most of these people had their way, we would all be sat in the dark, no food or water and no internet.
These imbeciles are happy for others to be out working, yet demand everyone stay indoors – they cannot have it both ways.
Let us all go out and Break the rules than. Watch the car accidents go up and more strain on all Hospital staff that are struggling physically and emotionally through this difficult time. If your involved in an accident lets see how keen you will be put in the hospital with covid 19. This is serious to the point people are dying daily. If everyone stayed indoors we could all go back to normal and reopen our Buissinesses as usual but people like you will just prolong the shut down and the longer this goes on massive impact on our economy. I say no more.
titch — ffs get a grip will you.
people die every day – 55 million people a year die around the world.
1500 people a week die from smoking in the uk each and every week of the year, every year.
If everyone stayed indoors there would be no food or water.
99.98% of this country will happily survive and continue on – there is no justification for a continuance of the removal of peoples right to freedom of movement and self determination.
Where as anybody, especially if elderly, ending up in A&E after falling down unlit stairs or being zapped by a faulty light switch is preferable?
Nobody wants to go out and catch this horrible illness but you seem to be having trouble with the word ‘essential’.
As long as it’s one person at time going in getting what they need at getting out and not a couple of old farts out for a mouch like a normal Wednesday,let people get on with some work at home
I hope the burget van is open as well
Excellent. I’ll be able to buy what I need to keep my business going instead of it verging on collapse and having to sign on. Or is that not acceptable to you lot huffing and puffing about it being open? I’m sure they’re following the same principles as the supermarkets, anyway.
If you are furloughed or retired on a pension then you don’t have the worry of having no money like the self employed who 5 weeks in still have no sign of any money ! So it’s easy to sit there and tell everyone to stay at home . It’s no wonder people have had to go back to work they have got to eat you know !!
Everyone here saying it’s not essential, maybe not for you but it is for some people like myself.part way through building our own cabin to live in and desperately need things like timber and insulation which b and q sell. Maybe stop going on about the business being open and criticize the PEOPLE who are going out unnecessarily!!!