Travis Perkins subsidiary Toolstation is planning to roll out a series of click and collect only stores nationally.
It is set to open the first store in a former Carphone Warehouse shop in Malvern Shopping Park, off Roman Way, Malvern, Worcestershire, which closed in April this year.
It has put the proposal for change of use of the retail store to Malvern Council where it is seeking flexible consent to allow B8 – distribution to be used on the site. The introduction of the Class B8 element alongside the existing Class A1 use will allow Toolstation to trade as a specific click and collect only store. The new format is expected to roll out nationally.
The company has not commented on the story to Logistics Manager but in the planning application it stated: “The coronavirus outbreak has seen a rapid growth in Toolstation click and collect sales, with internet sale of goods that are then available for collection at the stores network. In response to the success of this aspect of the business, Toolstation are seeking to roll out a number of smaller click and collect units, this unit in Malvern is proposed to be the first of its kind across the UK.”
In the plans it has suggested that the area for customer access is no more than 10% of total floor space, the remaining area given over to the storage and distribution of pre-ordered and pre-paid goods.
The unit would be supplied from central warehousing but with the possibility to bolster this in the future by utilising the existing trade counter network.
The Travis Perkins subsidiary has 400 warehouse /trade counter outlets already in operation. Each unit stocks approximately 10,000 plus catalogue products and serves predominantly the building industry, although Toolstation do accept trade from private customers.
The company kept its stores open during lockdown by operating them as mini dark stores for home delivery or click and collect – having closed them to the general public for browsing. It was extremely successful and although parent company Travis Perkins reported a hit during lockdown like-for-like sales at Toolstation in the first quarter of the year was up 9.1%.
