When DFS is going to reopen its Bristol stores

DFS has announced it is reopening both of its stores in Bristol.

The homeware retailer will be welcoming customers back into its branches at Longwell Green and Cribbs Causeway from Friday, May 29.

In addition to the two Bristol stores, a further 86 DFS outlets in England will also reopen tomorrow.

The reopening of the showrooms is part of a phased plan that has already seen DFS reopen three stores in Leicester, Milton Keynes and Bolton last week.

Safety measures in place

DFS' two stores in Bristol are reopening (Jon Kent)

The Bristol showrooms will be operating with extensive new processes and safety measures in place, said a DFS spokesperson.

These include staff training to ensure they adhere to the new processes and social distancing, daily temperature checks for employees, limiting the number of customers in the showroom at any one time, introducing hand sanitiser stations, increasing the frequency of cleaning high contact areas, and the provision of personal protective equipment for staff who wish to use it.

Nick Smith, Managing Director of DFS, said: "Since temporarily closing the majority of our operations almost eight weeks ago, we have assessed and adapted our processes across our manufacturing, retail and delivery operations to ensure we can prioritise colleague and customer safety.

"We have been careful to test these new operating processes by reopening just a handful of stores to begin with before expanding more widely across our estate."

Customers are welcome to browse and buy in stores as usual following new social distancing guidelines. 

The retailer has also implemented two new initiatives to help customers limit the time they spend in store:

• A new appointment service for customers who want to seek advice and purchase furniture as quickly and efficiently as possible.
• A comfort test service that allows customers to pop in store to test the product and then complete their order from the comfort of their own home over the phone, or on the DFS website.

DFS has also restarted limited deliveries in England.

In line with the company’s commitment to colleague and customer safety, it will not be delivering to any homes where the customer is shielding because they are at risk or are symptomatic.

In these instances, DFS will offer a revised doorstep delivery option, or will store the order until delivery can be fulfilled safely.