B&M garden and DIY sales soar during lockdown

Dozens of discount stores closed during the coronavirus crisis have now reopened

B&M Bargains says sales in DIY and gardening products have soared as households in lockdown snap up home improvement items.

The retailer also revealed 49 B&M stores which were previously closed during the coronavirus crisis have now reopened.

Bosses at the discount chain say in the eight weeks to May 23, like-for-like sales in stores, which have remained open as an “essential” retailer, were up 22.7 per cent compared with a year earlier.

Sales were also up 10.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis as people were doing more food shopping there, although costs have risen due to implementing social distancing measures and protections for customers and staff, B&M added.

Chief executive Simon Arora said: “We have encountered exceptionally strong demand over recent weeks. Customers have been coming to our stores much less frequently through the lockdown but their average spend has been much higher than normal.”

The growth in gardening and DIY products was particularly strong, as government guidelines kept garden centres closed and rival home improvement retailer B&Q closed to allow for new social distancing measures to be introduced.

Mr Arora added: “We have seen a significant bring-forward of demand in some key categories and the remarkably warm spring weather in the UK has been a major factor behind this during recent weeks.

“We are not expecting this current level of trading to continue as normal shopping patterns resume.

“Clearly, there is also considerable uncertainty in relation to both the progression of Covid-19 and the economic outlooks.”

B&M has also benefited from a 100 per cent business rates holiday this year on all commercial premises in England, although it didn't reveal how much it was saving from the deal announced to help retailers whose doors were forced to closed.

B&M has donated £1 million to UK food banks and a £2 million discount to NHS workers.

Stores in France closed on March 15 and all but two reopened on May 11 following lockdown easing in the country.