Following the government announcement on 1 May, Chadwicks Group, Ireland’s leading builders’ merchants will reopen branches nationwide from 18 May to cater for the construction industry.

Customers are being encouraged where possible to pre-order with their local branch via phone or email and orders will be available for collection at the branch.

Chadwicks Group closed its 50 branches nationwide in late March as part of the national effort to safeguard public health and help prevent the spread of Covid-19. An emergency delivery service was made available for HSE projects and essential business maintenance during the closure to ensure essential services could keep functioning during the closure.

While branches have been closed, the Chadwicks Group team has spent €200,000 to adapt its operational procedures and to implement rigorous new health and safety protocols. These have been designed to protect customers and colleagues while also making the experience as easy as possible for customers.

All members of the Chadwicks team have undergone training on the new protocols which include hygiene, delivery procedures, social distancing and footfall management. To ensure consistent high levels of compliance with these new procedures, all colleagues have completed an online certification course before returning to their local branch.

Customers arriving to their local branch can expect the following changes:

• Hand sanitising units at the main entrance of each branch which will offer gloves and hand sanitising gel. All customers will be required to sanitise their hands on arrival
• Perspex screens have been erected at all counters to protect customers and colleagues
• Where possible customers will be asked to pay by account, and they will be invoiced accordingly
• Updated signage reminding customers and colleagues of the new safety protocols have been implemented in each branch. This includes clear two metre markings outside each branch to allow for social distance queuing
• Capacity in branch will be restricted to allow for social distancing and customers will be asked to limit their time in branch where possible
• Daily cleaning schedules have been increased to ensure rigorous cleaning in key touch points throughout the branches
• Designated collection points have been created outside the branch for orders which have been placed online or via phone
• Pre-booked time slots for deliveries into branches to manage capacity

Commenting on the reopening, Patrick Atkinson, CEO, Chadwicks Group Ireland said: “The wellbeing of our colleagues and customers is always our top priority at Chadwicks Group. That is why we took the decision in March to close all branches nationwide as we felt it was extremely important that we play our part in helping flatten the curve and safeguard public health. We created an emergency delivery service for HSE projects and essential businesses as it was important that we could still be available for those critical projects during the closure.

“We are now reopening our branches in line with the lifting of government restrictions for construction sites and look forward to supplying our customers once again with the materials they need.

“A huge amount of work has been put in behind the scenes by our whole team to create new operational procedures and protocols which allow us to operate in this ‘new normal’ and above all put health and safety first. We believe these new protocols are industry leading and we are confident that customers will feel hugely reassured walking into any of our branches thanks to the new measures in place.

“The in-branch experience has had to change, but we have strived to make it as easy as possible for customers and we can promise our customers that our team remain committed to providing them with a best in class customer experience coupled with unrivalled expert product knowledge.”

Chadwicks Group operates 50 branches nationwide including Chadwicks, Heiton Buckley, The Panelling Centre, Davies and Cork Builders Providers.