Screwfix
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| Private (subsidiary of Kingfisher plc) | |
| Industry | Trade, Maintenance & Serious DIY |
| Founded | Yeovil — as the Woodscrew Company (1979) |
| Headquarters | Yeovil, Somerset |
| Products | Screws, Power Tools, Hand Tools, Fixings & Accessories, Kitchens & Bathrooms, Electrical & Lighting, Building & Joinery, Heating & Plumbing, Safety & Workwear, Security & Ironmongery, Outdoor & Gardening |
| Revenue | £1.299 billion (2016/17) |
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Number of employees
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7,130 (2017) |
| Website | www |
Screwfix is the United Kingdom's largest multi channel retailer of trade tools, accessories and hardware products. Founded in 1979 as the Woodscrew Supply Company, the company was acquired in July 1999, by Kingfisher plc, who also owns B&Q, and is listed on the .
Based in Yeovil, Somerset, Screwfix started life as the Woodscrew Supply Company in 1979. The company’s first mail order catalogue consisted of a single page, solely dedicated to screws; in 1987, this was increased to a four-page version named Handimail offering hardware to DIY and trade professionals.
The first catalogue to be produced in the name of Screwfix Direct appeared in 1992, and, with a turnover of £4 million, the company moved into larger premises at Pen Mill, Yeovil, in 1994. This was to herald the start of significant growth, in 1998, with a turnover that had virtually doubled year on year to £28 million, the company moved to a purpose built site at Houndstone Business Park in Yeovil.
The first website was launched in February 1999, just five months prior to the company being acquired by Kingfisher Plc. Later that year, the company expanded its Houndstone site, with the opening of a new contact centre, employing five hundred people. In January 2000, Screwfix announced a turnover of £58 million, and trading hours were extended to seven days a week. The thousandth employee joined the organisation in March 2000, and a month later, next day deliveries within mainland United Kingdom were introduced.
In January 2001, turnover first exceeded £100 million, and after further expansion in the contact centre, Screwfix announced sales of £185 million in 2002. The company relaunched the website later that year, and was awarded Retailer Of the Year. In September 2004, to continue to meet the increased demand, a fully automated, 325,000 sq ft distribution centre was opened in Trentham, Stoke on Trent, fulfilling next day orders. The innovative Screwfix Community, an online forum pre-dating Facebook, was also launched later that year.
In 2008, there was the launch of Plumbfix, offering qualified plumbers a wider range of specialist goods at better prices, this was followed by the launch of Electricfix the next year. In July 2011, Screwfix launched its Click & Collect service, which enables customers to order and pay securely online, and collect in store in five minutes. Also that year Screwfix's mobile website was set up enabling customers, with an easier shopping experience when not at home. Click & Collect was introduced onto this platform in January 2012, since then sales from mobiles have increased by 250%.
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Wikipedia