Why The Range can beat Amazon for your home, and how it compares with Dunelm and B&Q

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Ordering a mirror, a rug or a bed frame online is easy. Finding out it's the wrong shade, the wrong size or not quite what the photos suggested is the part that costs you time. That's where The Range has an advantage Amazon can't offer: according to its website, all 285 of its stores are open, so you can often see something in person before you buy it, then order online and pick it up the same day.

The Range started as a single store in Plymouth in 1989, opened by former market trader Chris Dawson as Chris Dawson Superstores, and its head office is still in the city. Today it sells what it describes as thousands of products across 16 departments, from furniture and lighting to paint, garden, crafts and seasonal decorations. It's part of what it calls the CDS Family, alongside Wilko, Homebase and Bathstore.

We've compared The Range with Amazon, the UK's biggest online store, and with two home specialists, Dunelm and B&Q, on the things that matter when you're buying for your home: seeing products first, collection, delivery, returns and range. Details for each retailer come from its own website.

See it in store before you buy

Colour, texture and size are hard to judge on a screen. A "light brown" dining set or a "greige" shoe cabinet can look quite different once it's in your hallway. Amazon is online only, so photos and reviews are all you have to go on, and a large share of its catalogue comes from independent Marketplace sellers, so listings and service can vary from item to item.

The Range has stores across the UK, from its original Plymouth branch to a three-storey store in Bury. If the sofa or mirror you're considering is on display near you, you can check the finish and measure it up first. Dunelm, with 204 shops, and B&Q, with over 300 stores across the UK and Ireland, offer the same benefit, so on this point The Range is level with the home specialists and well ahead of Amazon.

Free Click & Collect, ready fast

Click & Collect is free at 264 of The Range's stores, and The Range says orders can be ready within an hour. Order at lunchtime and you could pick it up on the way home.

• The Range: free Click & Collect in 264 stores; The Range says orders can be ready within 1 hour of ordering.
• Dunelm: free same-day Click & Collect, ready in as little as 2 hours, subject to stock.
• B&Q: free Click + Collect, ready in as little as 15 minutes and held for 7 days.
• Amazon: no shops of its own, but eligible orders can go to pick-up locations across mainland UK.

Free delivery from £59, no membership needed

If you'd rather have it brought to you, The Range offers free delivery on orders over £59 on eligible items (terms apply). You don't need a paid membership to get it.

Amazon works differently. Free standard delivery applies to orders that include at least £10 of eligible books dispatched by Amazon; other orders show their delivery charge at checkout. Unlimited One-Day Delivery on eligible items comes with Prime, which costs £8.99 a month or £95 a year. If you only shop for your home a few times a year, The Range's £59 threshold could work out cheaper than keeping up a membership.

Among the home specialists, Dunelm's threshold is almost the same: standard delivery is free over £60, or £3.95 below that. B&Q charges £6 for standard delivery unless you spend over £100. So on a mid-sized order, say £70 of paint and accessories, The Range and Dunelm would deliver it free, while B&Q would charge.

Free returns to a store near you

The Range advertises free returns to store, which it calls "Peace Of Mind Guaranteed" (terms apply). With so many branches, that means no labels and no postage if something isn't right. Check The Range's returns terms for how long you have before buying anything you're unsure about.

Amazon accepts most items back within 30 days if they're unused and undamaged. Dunelm gives you 28 days under its change-of-mind policy, and B&Q takes most items back at any of its stores within 90 days with proof of purchase.

A home range with brands you know

The Range's departments cover furniture, mirrors, home furnishings, lighting, cooking and dining, paint and painting accessories, garden, household, and arts and crafts. A few things stand out:

• Branded paint: Crown and Dulux paints are among its current best sellers, and it also sells wilko Paint, from its sister brand.
• Kitchens and bathrooms: its website promotes Kitchens by Homebase and Bathstore, so a bigger renovation can start in the same place as the cushions.
• Seasonal ranges: Christmas, Easter and Halloween each get their own ranges. This week's best sellers include two artificial Christmas trees, 6ft and 6.5ft, at £39.99 each.
• Arts and crafts: a whole department for craft supplies, handy for hobbyists and school projects.
• Extras: some branches host Iceland at The Range food concessions, and The Range Marketplace adds products from other sellers online.

Dunelm goes deeper on soft furnishings, with around 100,000 products, its own brands such as Dorma and made-to-measure curtains and blinds. B&Q is the place for tools and building materials. The Range sits between them, mixing furniture, decorating and garden with crafts and seasonal stock.

Where the others have the edge

The Range won't be the best choice for every purchase:

• Sheer range and speed: Amazon sells almost everything, and if you already pay for Prime, One-Day Delivery on eligible items comes without a per-order charge.
• A clear returns window: Amazon states 30 days for most items, Dunelm 28 days and B&Q 90 days. Check The Range's returns policy for its window.
• Quicker collection: B&Q says Click + Collect can be ready in as little as 15 minutes.
• Member discounts: B&Q Club is free and starts with a £5 off £30 coupon, and Dunelm's app currently gives a voucher when you sign in. The Range doesn't advertise a loyalty scheme; its newsletter sign-up offers a prize draw instead.

Who The Range suits best

The Range makes most sense if you like to see furniture and decor before you commit, want to collect the same day rather than wait in for a courier, and would rather return things to a shop than post them. It's a good fit for decorating projects, where branded paint, wallpaper and accessories sit in one basket, and for seasonal shopping, when a Christmas tree and decorations can be picked up together.

Your questions answered

How many stores does The Range have?

The Range's website says it has 285 stores, all open, and that Click & Collect is free in 264 of them.

Is The Range linked to Wilko and Homebase?

Yes. The Range describes itself as part of the CDS Family, with Wilko, Homebase and Bathstore. It bought the Wilko brand in 2023 and Homebase in 2024.

Is delivery free at The Range?

Delivery is free on orders over £59 on eligible items, and terms apply. Click & Collect from 264 stores is free whatever you spend.

Ways to save at The Range

Get your basket over £59 for free delivery, or use free Click & Collect for smaller orders. The Range's website footer also links to a student discount, and signing up to its newsletter enters you into a prize draw to win a £500 gift card. We've picked out The Range's six best buys this week, and you'll find every current offer on our The Range voucher codes page.

Sources: The Range, The Range (Wikipedia), Amazon Prime, Amazon help, Dunelm delivery, Dunelm returns, Dunelm about us, B&Q delivery, B&Q Click + Collect, B&Q returns, B&Q Club

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