Home improvement retailer Screwfix has revealed its plan to open up to 20 "Screwfix City" stores by the end of 2024.  

The expansion follows the successful pilot of the ultra-compact store format in London, with the company aiming to establish up to 100 such locations in the coming years.  

Screwfix announced the plan as it opened its latest Screwfix City store. 

The retailer initially tested the concept with a pilot, followed by six City stores across London in areas such as Islington, Camden and Dulwich.  

The stores are situated in high footfall areas, providing easy access to more than 3,000 essential products through click and collect, with an additional 31,000 items available online for next-day collection. 

Screwfix City stores are designed to offer greater convenience to tradespeople in urban areas, addressing common challenges such as parking constraints and traffic delays.  

The retailer also offers online delivery service from these stores through its Screwfix Sprint service. 

Customers can take delivery of their purchases on-site or at home within one hour. 

Screwfix UK and Republic of Ireland managing director Max Britten said: “Our Screwfix City stores are enabling us to go even further to meet the needs of our customers. We know how busy our customers are, and we understand the challenges they face in cities, such as getting a parking space on the job or having to down tools for an emergency product only to spend time stuck in traffic.  

“With our Screwfix City stores, we’ve been able to launch an exciting new format that works in different locations to our traditional stores. We’re planning to open up to 100 over the next few years in London and other cities, providing our customers with the ultimate convenience that keeps them on the job and earning.” 

In June 2024, Kingfisher, the owner of Screwfix, developed an internal AI orchestration platform known as Athena.