Queue it yourself: 300,000 people an hour wait online, in line just to get onto B&Q website to make Easter click and collect orders
- Online shoppers told they will need to spend at least 60 minutes in virtual queue
- Families unable to visit relatives due to lockdown are turning to home projects
- The retailer urges customers to only travel to stores when their orders are ready
- Were you stuck in the queue? Send your story to [email protected]
B&Q customers are having to wait more than an hour just to get on to the company’s website, with hundreds of thousands looking to buy products this weekend.
With the UK still on lockdown, huge numbers of people will instead be turning to gardening and DIY projects over the Easter break, rather than visiting relatives.
As a result, the home improvement retailer is seeing massive demand for its stock, with online shoppers today told they face a wait of at least 60 minutes before making click and collect orders.
At one stage this afternoon, more than 317,000 people were simultaneously waiting to buy products from B&Q’s online store, pictured
At one stage this afternoon, more than 317,000 people were simultaneously waiting to buy products, as the high street giant urged customers not to arrive at its stores until told to, in order to follow the ongoing social distancing guidelines.
However, one angry customer said he was waiting in the queue for more than an hour, and was filling his basket with items, but was kicked out and made to start all over again.
Another shopper told MailOnline: ‘They should be shut, surely, as they are making people leave the house.’
A statement on the B&Q site reads: ‘We are using a virtual queue to limit the number of customers using the website at the same time.
B&Q, pictured, has told hundreds of thousands of online shoppers not to travel to its stores until their items are ready to collect
‘This is to give you the best possible online shopping experience.
‘If using our contact-free Click + Collect service, once you’ve placed your order, we’ll let you know when it’s ready to pick up.
‘Please do not travel to store until we contact you.
‘Once it’s your turn, you will have 10 minutes to start your visit.
‘Once on the site, you’ll have as long as you need.’