Updated Jan 6 at 16:34
KBB retailers will once again have to close their doors to the public as the Government announces an even stricter national lockdown.
Government guidance states that every KBB showroom in the UK has to close and cannot even operate by appointment only.
The announcement for Scotland and England to increase its restrictions was made yesterday.
England has placed all its regions in lockdown until at least February 15 and everyone has been advised they should work from home. Only essential retail is allowed to open, which does not include KBB showrooms.
Scotland has the same restrictions as England for KBB showrooms and showrooms in Northern Ireland are also required to close after the region was placed in lockdown for six weeks from December 26. Wales also went into the highest tier of its alert system on December 20, which meant KBB showrooms had to close.
Under the English Tier 4 restrictions, set out on the December 20, all KBB showrooms have to close fully. Showrooms cannot even open on an appointment-only basis.
Government advice on which businesses should close states that “showrooms such as those for bathrooms, kitchens, tiles, and glazing” should close. However, builders merchants and suppliers of products and tools used in building work and repairs can remain open.
KBB showrooms in Scotland were also explicitly told that they must close. The types of retail premises listed on the Government’s guidance includes “retail ‘showrooms’, such as kitchen/bathroom/furniture/glazing, where you ‘browse’ but order for the future”.
Building and plumbers merchants can remain open as they are classed as essential.
Tradespeople in England and Wales can carry on working in customers’ homes despite the new national lockdown measures, according to the latest advice from the government and The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI).
The BiKBBI and kbbreview are currently seeking urgent clarification from the Scottish Government as to what their lockdown means for kitchen and bathroom installers.
Damian Walters, chief executive of The British Institute of KBB Installation (BiKBBI), confirmed on LinkedIn: “The advice for tradespeople in England and Wales is clear – they can continue to operate within ‘safe operating procedures’ in accordance with latest government announcement.
“However the Scottish Government website’s advice to tradespeople states:
Tradespeople providing services in other people’s homes in level 4 areas: Tradespeople should only go into a house in a level 4 area to carry out or deliver essential work or services, for example: to deliver, install or repair key household furniture and appliances such as washing machines, fridges and cookers
“The ambiguity relates to the term ‘essential work or services’, however the advice includes authority to ‘deliver, install or repair key household furniture’.
“Once again, this lack of clarity between our so called United Kingdom is causing real confusion, which we urge the Scottish government to clarify as a matter of urgency.”