Elliotts, the Hampshire-based independent builders’ merchant has announced that it will open earlier as part of its drive to keep the county building.

The builders’ merchant is running a trial from 2 January where two of its branches – Southampton and Totton – will be open from 7am.

The move follows demand from customers for earlier opening hours and the Southampton and Totton branches were selected for the trial because of the high volume of construction projects taking place in the city. Currently major works are underway at the new Cultural Quarter, Admiral’s Quay and Watermark WestQuay.

Tom Elliott, managing director, said: “Feedback from our customers show they’re increasingly needing to get on-site earlier, particularly in the winter months when daylight is limited. Opening earlier means they will be able to arrive on-site with all of the equipment and products they need, rather than wait around and lose precious time.”