STAFF at Dunelm in Darlington are keen to welcome back customers on Monday, and the shop has even had a 'mini refit'.

Dunelm in Darlington, like many branches of the home store across the country, is gearing up to reopen at 9am on Monday, April 12. 

The latest easing of Covid restrictions has given non-essential shops and the hospitality industry the green light to reopen this Monday. 

But during Dunelem's closure, manager Glen Boll has been busy remodelling the store. 

He said: "While we have been shut, we have all been very busy remodelling the store and cannot wait for our customers to enjoy our hard work and enjoy Darlington’s best shopping experience.

"One of the highlights of our work is our new ‘Make and Mend’ department, this is where we will beautifully showcase our new ranges of wallpaper and later on this month our own branded range of paint.

"There are inspirational themes for each colour range along with a range of DIY products you will need to implement your chosen style. Not forgetting our new range of Rust-oleum paints to help with up-cycling furniture which is great for the environment."

The new additions come after many people, stuck at home with time on their hands, have taken to doing up their flats, houses or gardens.

Members of the Darlington Dunelm Community Facebook page can enter the store an hour early for an exclusive look at the mini refit. 

Mr Boll added: "We are really excited to reopen and welcome our amazing customers back."

It comes as Dunelm this week said it expects a “strong consumer response” to shops reopening next week.

It will allow the company to take some of the weight off its website, which has provided a crutch to the retailer through the pandemic.

In the first three months of 2020, online sales were less than 23 per cent of Dunelm’s total £284 million.

But in the three opening months of this year – Dunelm’s third quarter – that has ballooned to more than 92 per cent of the total.

It represented a tripling of online sales compared with the same period last year, with the company offering customers deliveries to their door or the ability to pick up orders at a shop.