Screwfix
British trade tools, hardware and home-improvement retailer serving professional tradespeople and do-it-yourself customers.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Screwfix is a United Kingdom-based retailer specialising in tools, hardware, building supplies, plumbing, electrical products, workwear and related trade goods. Its core customers are professional tradespeople, including builders, plumbers and electricians, although it also serves do-it-yourself customers and household consumers. The business operates through a combination of physical stores, digital commerce, telephone ordering and rapid fulfilment services. The company began in Yeovil, Somerset, in 1979 under the name Woodscrew Supply Company. Its initial mail-order catalogue consisted of a single page focused on screws. The catalogue expanded during the 1980s, eventually becoming a broader hardware publication known as Handimail. The Screwfix Direct name first appeared on a catalogue in 1992. As the assortment and customer base grew, the company moved to larger premises in Yeovil and later established a purpose-built site at Houndstone Business Park. Digital retail became central to Screwfix's development. The company launched its first website in February 1999, shortly before Kingfisher plc acquired it in July of that year. Kingfisher also owns B&Q and has used Screwfix as a distinct, trade-oriented retail format within its broader home-improvement portfolio. Following the acquisition, Screwfix expanded its contact-centre, distribution and delivery capabilities. Next-day delivery across mainland Britain, extended trading hours and a large automated distribution centre helped the retailer compete on convenience as well as price and product availability. Screwfix's operating model combines a broad online range with a dense network of relatively compact stores. Customers can order online or by telephone and collect products through Click & Collect, often within minutes. The business has also invested in mobile commerce, smartphone ordering and app-based services. Screwfix Sprint, introduced in 2021, enables eligible customers to receive orders at home or at a work site in 60 minutes or less from participating stores. These services are particularly suited to tradespeople who need tools or materials quickly and cannot afford long procurement delays. The assortment has expanded well beyond the original screw-focused catalogue. It includes hand and power tools, fixings, decorating products, plumbing and electrical supplies, security equipment, lighting, storage, workwear, garden products and construction materials. Specialist propositions such as Plumbfix and Electricfix were introduced for qualified or professional customers, adding depth in plumbing and electrical categories. Screwfix has expanded beyond the United Kingdom and Ireland. It entered France with a website in 2021 and opened its first French stores in 2022, initially in northern France. In 2023 it launched a European website serving customers in Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Sweden. By April 2024, the company reported more than 900 stores across the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, following the opening of its 900th UK and Ireland store in Nottingham in March 2024. The brand positions itself around speed, convenience, competitive pricing, accessible specialist products and dependable availability. Its physical estate, digital catalogue and fulfilment infrastructure are designed to support urgent trade purchases as well as planned DIY projects. Screwfix also operates the Screwfix Foundation, a charitable initiative launched in 2013 that supports projects repairing, maintaining or improving community buildings and facilities for people in need in the United Kingdom.
History
Screwfix traces its origins to 1979, when it was established in Yeovil, Somerset, as the Woodscrew Supply Company. Its first catalogue was a single sheet devoted to screws, reflecting a narrow mail-order proposition. During the 1980s, the catalogue developed into a broader hardware offering and was expanded into a four-page publication called Handimail. The Screwfix Direct name appeared on a catalogue for the first time in 1992. The expanding business moved to larger premises at Pen Mill in Yeovil in 1994. By 1998, reported turnover had reached £28 million, and Screwfix moved to a purpose-built site at Houndstone Business Park. The company entered digital commerce in February 1999 with the launch of its first website. Five months later, in July 1999, Kingfisher plc acquired the retailer. The acquisition connected Screwfix with a major home-improvement group while leaving it to develop as a distinct trade-focused format. After the acquisition, Screwfix increased its operational capacity. A new contact centre opened at Houndstone in 1999, and the company expanded its workforce and trading hours. Next-day delivery across mainland Britain was introduced in 2000. Sales and staffing grew rapidly during the early 2000s, supported by catalogue, telephone and online ordering. The website was relaunched and the business received retail-industry recognition. In 2004, Screwfix opened a fully automated distribution centre at Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent. The 325,000-square-foot facility was intended to support the retailer's next-day delivery proposition as demand increased. The same year, Screwfix launched an online community forum, extending its relationship with trade and DIY customers beyond transactions. The company broadened its specialist offer during the late 2000s. Plumbfix launched in 2008 to provide qualified plumbers with a wider range of specialist products, followed by Electricfix for electrical professionals in 2009. These propositions strengthened Screwfix's relevance to skilled trades and complemented the general hardware assortment. Omnichannel retail became a defining part of the brand during the 2010s. Click & Collect launched in 2011, allowing customers to buy through digital channels and collect quickly from stores. Screwfix also launched a mobile website, and mobile Click & Collect followed in 2012. The company continued to open stores, reaching its 300th location in 2013. In 2014, it expanded into Northern Ireland and Germany, although its later international development concentrated on France and selected European digital markets. Screwfix introduced the Quickshop app in 2015. The app allowed customers to assemble orders on a smartphone and present a QR code for scanning at the store till. The retailer continued to expand its online range, contact-centre availability and store network. Industry awards during the 2010s recognised its customer-experience and digital-retail capabilities. In 2021, Screwfix launched Screwfix Sprint, a rapid delivery service offering delivery to homes or work sites in 60 minutes or less from eligible stores. The service was subsequently available through more than 325 stores and was reported to reach close to half of the UK population. It received awards for customer experience and delivery innovation. International expansion resumed in France. After launching a French website in 2021, Screwfix opened its first five French stores in 2022 in the Hauts-de-France region. The business later reported 20 stores in northern France. In 2023, a European website was introduced for customers in Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Sweden. By March 2024, Screwfix had opened its 900th store in the United Kingdom and Ireland; by April 2024, its total network across the United Kingdom, Ireland and France exceeded 900 stores. Screwfix has also pursued operational sustainability measures. Its store network was reported to use renewable electricity, while air-source heat pumps were being retrofitted into existing locations. At the end of the 2023/24 financial year, more than 630 stores had received the technology. Separately, the Screwfix Foundation, created in 2013, supports United Kingdom projects that repair, maintain or improve community buildings and facilities for people in need.
- 2024
900th UK and Ireland store opens
[1]Screwfix celebrates the opening of its 900th store in the United Kingdom and Ireland in Nottingham.
- 2023
European website launches
[1]A European website begins serving customers in Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Sweden.
- 2022
French stores open and UK network reaches 800
[1]Screwfix opens its first French stores and reaches 800 stores with the opening of its Bourton-on-the-Water location.
- 2021
Screwfix Sprint is introduced
[1]Rapid delivery to homes and work sites in 60 minutes or less becomes available from eligible stores.
- 2015
Quickshop app launches
[1]The app allows customers to build an order on a smartphone and use a QR code at the store till.
- 2013
Screwfix reaches 300 stores
[1]The retailer opens its 300th store as its local fulfilment network expands.
- 2011
Click & Collect launches
[1]Customers can order online and collect purchases from stores in as little as five minutes.
- 2009
Electricfix launches
[1]A specialist electrical-products proposition is introduced for professional customers.
- 2008
Plumbfix launches
[1]Screwfix introduces a specialist proposition for qualified plumbers.
- 2004
Automated distribution centre opens
[1]A 325,000-square-foot automated distribution centre opens in Trentham to support next-day fulfilment.
Products and positioning
A trade-focused, value-oriented and convenience-led home-improvement retailer combining a large online assortment with local stores, rapid delivery and fast collection services.
Tools
Tools
Screwfix sells hand tools, power tools, accessories and workshop equipment for professional tradespeople and DIY users. The range supports construction, repair, installation, maintenance and general home-improvement work.
Hardware · 1979
Fixings and hardware
Fixings, fasteners, screws and general hardware remain central to the brand's historical identity. The category has expanded from the original screw catalogue into a broad selection for construction, joinery, installation and household repairs.
Building materials
Building and decorating supplies
The retailer offers products used in building, renovation and decorating, including materials, paints, preparation products and associated tools. These lines support both trade projects and consumer DIY tasks.
Plumbing · 2008
Plumbfix
Plumbfix is Screwfix's specialist plumbing proposition, introduced for qualified plumbers and other professional users. It provides a broader range of plumbing-related goods and specialist supplies than the general catalogue.
Electrical · 2009
Electricfix
Electricfix is a specialist electrical-products proposition launched to serve electrical professionals. It complements Screwfix's general electrical assortment with a more trade-oriented range.
Trade apparel
Workwear and safety equipment
Screwfix supplies workwear, protective clothing and safety equipment for tradespeople and workshop users, helping customers obtain job-site essentials alongside tools and materials.
Marketing campaigns
- 2013Screwfix Foundation
United Kingdom
Screwfix launched the Screwfix Foundation to support charities and community projects that repair, maintain or improve buildings and facilities for people in need.
Outcome. The foundation continued operating as the brand's principal charitable initiative and reported donations exceeding £15 million by February 2025.
Brand decisions
2021
Launch Screwfix SprintProduct launchBackground
Tradespeople and other customers may need urgent delivery to a home or active work site.
Action taken
Screwfix introduced a service offering delivery in 60 minutes or less from eligible stores.
Aftermath
The service expanded to more than 325 eligible stores and received recognition for delivery innovation and customer experience.
2021
Begin French market developmentStrategyBackground
Screwfix sought to extend its trade-retail model beyond the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Action taken
The company launched a French website, followed by physical stores in northern France in 2022.
Aftermath
The French network grew to 20 stores in northern France according to the supplied reference material.
2011
Introduce Click & CollectProduct launchBackground
Trade customers often need products quickly and benefit from local access to a broad online assortment.
Action taken
Screwfix enabled customers to order and pay online and collect from stores, with collection designed to take as little as five minutes.
Aftermath
Click & Collect became a core part of the retailer's omnichannel model and was later extended to mobile ordering.
1999
Join Kingfisher plcM&ABackground
Screwfix had developed from a mail-order hardware business into a growing retailer with a newly launched website.
Action taken
Kingfisher plc acquired Screwfix Direct in July 1999.
Aftermath
Screwfix continued expanding its digital, distribution and store infrastructure within the Kingfisher group.
Recent events
- 2024
Screwfix opens its 900th UK and Ireland store[1]
Other
Screwfix marked the opening of its 900th store in the United Kingdom and Ireland in Nottingham.
- 2022
Screwfix reaches 800 stores[1]
Other
The opening of a store in Bourton-on-the-Water brought Screwfix's network to 800 locations and supported its medium-term expansion ambition.
- 2011
Screwfix launches Click & Collect[1]
Product launch
The retailer introduced online ordering with secure payment and collection from stores, initially promising collection in as little as five minutes.
- 1999
Kingfisher acquires Screwfix[1]
M&A
Kingfisher plc acquired Screwfix Direct in July 1999, bringing the growing trade retailer into the same group as B&Q.
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/screwfix · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled