B&Q was founded in March 1969 in Southampton, England, by Richard Block and David Quayle, following the purchase and fitting out of a former furniture warehouse in the Southampton suburb of Portswood. Originally called Block & Quayle, the duo soon shortened the brand to B&Q as stock delivery notes and invoices were already unofficially abbreviating the name. By each working over sixty hour, six day weeks, they were able to repay their bank overdraft within six months of opening, with turnover reaching £1million within the first five years of operating. Following the departure of co founder Block in 1976, the chain
Woodie's DIY in Glasnevin in April 1988. The continued successes of the retail operations led to two new store openings in 1990, one in Sallynoggin and the other in Cork. In 1989, ‘Pay Less DIY’ was purchased by the Grafton Group and was rebranded as Woodie’s DIY. In the early 2000s, Woodie's DIY entered a phase of rapid expansion and in 2005, the business acquired fifteen Atlantic Homecare store estate which brought the total number of locations to its present figure. In 2015, the parent company saw a huge boost in sales and also noticed a positive performance in the business. Woodie's