Screwfix has opened its 600th store – a major milestone for the UK retailer which has added 100 new stores to its network in the past 18 months.

Since opening its first store in Yeovil in 2005, Screwfix has grown significantly, with 97% of the UK population being within a 30-minute drive from their nearest store. Screwfix is on track to open 50 stores in 2018, with many more planned for 2019.

The new store, on the Trident Industrial Estate in Hoddesdon, officially opened its doors on 20th September to hundreds of local customers. The store will help busy tradespeople to get the job done quickly and affordably, with a Click & Collect service allowing customers to order and collect goods in as little as one minute. Like all Screwfix stores, Hoddesdon is open seven days a week and has created new jobs in the town.

The retailer’s focus on customers and convenience - with extended opening hours, Click & Collect, next day delivery and award-winning 24/7 contact centre – is a major contributing factor to its fast growth rate and has also earned it high profile awards including Retail Week’s ‘Best Retailer’ and ‘Digital Pioneer’ in 2018.

Screwfix’s best-in-class digital capabilities are being used by its parent-company, Kingfisher plc, to develop leading ecommerce platforms in its stores and back of house systems across Europe, as part of its ambitious five-year transformation programme.

John Mewett, CEO of Screwfix, said: “We’re immensely proud to be opening our 600th Screwfix store. It represents a major milestone in our ambitions to offer the ultimate in fast, high quality customer service for our tradespeople, who need a responsive service, seven days a week.  We are continuing to invest in our stores alongside our digital offering to ensure our customers can get the products they need, when they need them.

“Our continued growth is testament to the loyalty of our fantastic customers who continue to be at the forefront of our business’’.

Operations at property director at Screwfix, Scott Parsons, spoke to DIY Week today ahead of the opening, he said: “We think we have room for 700 stores in the UK, it will take another two or three years at our current opening rate to get to that, that’s our current plan.”

Mr Parsons told DIY Week the increase in store openings help to enhance the digital performance at Screwfix too, he said: “For digital to really succeed, you have got to have a true omni-channel approach, which is what Screwfix has got. Having stores really compliments that because what happens is we end up with 600 collection counters for customers, and especially with our customers, a lot of the work they do they need the product the same day, so actually ordering through digital means, it is a great way for them to secure stock and can collect their goods from any of our 600 stores.”

Its convenient Click & Collect service, which enables customers to pick-up their goods in as little as one minute after ordering online or over the phone, has already received more than 27 million orders.

Since starting life as the Woodscrew Supply Company in 1979, Screwfix has always been passionate about delivering convenience, value and the wide product range required by its busy trade customers and serious DIYers. Its store network is visited by 7.8m customers a year and Screwfix.com by 5 million unique visitors each week. 

A thorough break down of the company’s plans will be available in DIY Week’s 12th October issue.