During the lockdown period, many people across the UK found themselves spending more time at home and with the spring/summer of 2020 being one of the hottest and sunniest on record, many of us enjoyed our outside space. Suddenly, we became a nation of DIY fanatics and began transforming our homes inside and out.
Which@, the consumer experts has produced research that investigated the six top DIY and furniture retailers, including B&Q, Screwfix, Homebase as well as Amazon, between July 2019 and July 2021. Their research looked at pricing of 2,000 garden items, and the spike in prices is eye watering.
Major retailers, it seems, put prices up on popular garden and outdoor products, blaming supply and material shortages, higher transportation costs and delays in the supply chain. The cost of sheds and garden furniture has soared since the summer in 2019 before the start of the pandemic.
Screwfix put up the price of a shed to £814.99, an increase of 155% compared with the original price of £319.99 in July 2019, citing a shortage of materials and more expensive shipping costs behind the massive rise.
B&Q were selling a garden dining set for £247 back in July 2019 but the latest price was £369, a 49% price hike.
According to Which?, all the major retailers applied price increases between the second half of 2020 and the first six months of this year.
