UK shoppers beat the queues this Easter by making their DIY purchases from the comfort of their own homes, says payment fraud protection specialist Retail Decisions (ReD).
Online purchases of DIY products rose by 60% in the UK in the run up to Easter, compared with the same time last year, according to ReD ceo Carl Clump. "Interestingly, UK online sales of DIY items were up three-fold during weekends in March and, moreover, the average value of each transaction also increased by £112 from £253 to £365."

He added: "There is a clear shift in consumer trends towards buying home improvement products online. Internet purchases allow customers to have the goods delivered directly to their door, both saving time and avoiding the Easter weekend rush at the tills. There is no wasted trip if an item is out of stock and there is the added advantage of online discounts and easy price comparisons."

ReD's data showed that the two most popular home improvement activities over Easter were kitchen upgrades and bathroom remodelling. The third most popular product was storage furniture and wardrobes. The popularity of storage furniture seems to suggest that people are reorganising their homes to optimise the space they already have, said ReD.

Last month Robert Dyas launched their newly revamped website in a bid to boost online sales and make the Robert Dyas online shop the number one store in the chain.