Britons will spend an extra £290m at garden centres and DIY stores this Easter weekend. 

Forecasters at the Centre for Economics and Business Research said the 25 per cent rise in spend means stores such as B&Q, Homebase, and discounter B&M will share a mammoth £1.4billion. 

Home improvements: Stores such as B&Q, Homebase, and discounter B&M will share a mammoth £1.4billion

Home improvements: Stores such as B&Q, Homebase, and discounter B&M will share a mammoth £1.4billion

Home improvements: Stores such as B&Q, Homebase, and discounter B&M will share a mammoth £1.4billion

The figures highlight the mismatch between shops that can open and those shut under lockdown. DIY store sales rose by more than a third in the final quarter of 2020. 

The British Retail Consortium estimates shops lost £2billion of sales each week they shut. Overall sales (or sales at all shops) this weekend should hit £8.1billion – £290m per household – the second lowest in five years.

#fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle#mobile {display:none} #fiveDealsWidget {display:block; float:left; clear:both; max-width:636px; margin:0; padding:0; line-height:120%; font-size:12px} #fiveDealsWidget div, #fiveDealsWidget a {margin:0; padding:0; line-height:120%; text-decoration: none; font-family:Arial, Helvetica ,sans-serif} #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitleBox {display:block; float:left; width:100%; background-color:#af1e1e; } #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitle {color:#fff; text-transform: uppercase; font-size:18px; font-weight:bold; margin:6px 10px 4px 10px; } #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {float:left; display:block; width:124px; margin-right:4px; margin-top:5px; background-color: #e3e3e3; min-height:200px;} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {margin-right:0} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle {display:block; margin:10px 5px; color:#000; font-weight:bold} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage img {float:left; display:block; margin:0; padding:0} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {border:1px solid #ccc} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage img {width:100%; height:auto} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemdesc {float:left; display:block; color:#004db3; font-weight:bold; margin:5px;} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemRate {float:left; display:block; color:#000; margin:5px} #fiveDealsWidget .footerText a:hover{text-decoration: underline;} #fiveDealsWidget .footerSmall{font-size:10px; padding-top:10px;} @media (max-width: 635px) { #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {width:19%; margin-right:1%} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {width:20%} } @media (max-width: 560px) { #fiveDealsWidget #desktop {display:none;} #fiveDealsWidget #mobile {display:block!important} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {background-color: #fff; height:auto; min-height:auto} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {border-bottom:1px solid #ececec; margin-bottom:5px; padding-bottom:10px} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {border-bottom:0px solid #ececec; margin-bottom:5px; padding-bottom:0px} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem, #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {width:100%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {float:left; display:inline-block} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {width:35%; margin-right:1%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent {width:63%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle {margin: 0px 5px 5px; font-size:16px} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent .dealItemdesc, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent .dealItemRate {clear:both} }

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

You May Also Like

I’m nearly 60 with £235,000 in my pension – is it enough to retire at 65?

I’m married, mortgage-free and have two adult children and am nearing 60.…

RUTH SUNDERLAND: Wealth taxes don’t work

As Mark Carney, the former Bank of England governor remarked in his…

Make sure your home is safe for Santa Claus with these top tips

THE Consumer Crew are here to solve your problems. Mel Hunter will…

You could own a 900-year-old hermit’s CAVE hidden away in woodland for just £60,000 – but there’s a catch

A CENTURIES-OLD cave hidden away in woodland could be yours for just…