Home improvement retailer Wickes has announced it will close all of its 235 branches for three days during the Christmas period.

The move is part of a 'thank you' to staff by the company - who also say the decision was made to support their wellbeing at the end of an extraordinary year with 'well-earned rest and relaxation'.

When will the closures take place?

The holiday closure, which begins as shops lock their doors on December 23, is the first in the business’ 48 year history and will give over 8,000 colleagues additional leave, on top of their regular allocation in order to spend time with loved ones.

As an essential retailer Wickes say their staff have been working in-stores helping customers and local tradespeople, keep homes dry, warm and safe during the pandemic.

With Covid-19 shining a brighter light on wellbeing, the retailer's colleague-led ‘Wellbeing’ group has been at the forefront of people engagement, supporting co-workers with regular tools and access to resources. Further to the stores closing to enable time off, each employee will receive gift cards and rewards such as discounts as a gesture of appreciation.

What have Wickes said?

David Wood, chief executive officer, at Wickes said: “The decision to close our stores and give our colleagues some meaningful time off was an easy one.

"It’s been an unprecedented year and we wanted to take a moment to recognise the tremendous effort our team has gone to, in swiftly adapting to such unusual circumstances with an incredible can do attitude.

At a time when we usually connect with others, we felt it was right to support our colleagues with more time with friends and loved ones; we’re sure our customers will understand why we feel this is important.”

What are the Wickes store opening hours for the rest of 2020?

Wickes store opening hours for the rest of the year remain 7am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

Stores will be shut on December 24, 25 and 26, 2020. During the holiday period wickes.co.uk remains open for home delivery bookings, together with Customer services.