B&Q is creating 19 jobs with the launch of its new website in the Republic of Ireland.
As part of the move, home delivery and click and collect services will now be available nationwide.
The company, which currently has eight shops here, is creating a new Digital Hub at its Liffey Valley store in West Dublin.
John Eason, divisional director for Ireland, said the online offering will not lead to jobs losses in any of B&Q’s Irish shops.
“Quite the opposite, actually. We are going to recruit additional roles in any case, this is all about growing the business in Ireland and certainly not shrinking it,” he said.
“And stores are a really critical part of the offer, they really complement rather than suffer as a result,” he added.
B&Q parent Kingfisher operates 1,400 stores in eight countries across Europe.
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an “acceleration” in people shopping online at B&Q, Mr Eason said, “particularly in the early stages of the pandemic”.
“That level has kind of maintained really, time will tell just what has habitually changed for customers, but right now that demand level is certainly greater than it was before the pandemic,” he added.
For higher price items such as kitchens and bathrooms, Mr Eason expects sales will be generated through a combination of online and in-store transactions.
“More often than not the journey starts online for so many people these days and I think that’s where we have real strength.
"I think higher ticket sales generally will be a combination of both…people like to touch and feel and see things still,” he said.
Supply chain issues remain a problem for many businesses as economies rebound from Covid restrictions.
However, Mr Eason said B&Q is in a “strong” situation.
“I think there is global supply challenges across many sectors, including retail, but we have found ourselves in a pretty strong position, actually,” Mr Eason said.
“Right here right now we are in as good a position as we would expect to be, but inevitably there is pressure on the supply chains across a whole number of different sectors, including ours, but we have managed that really well.”
B&Q’s parent company, Kingfisher, reported sales of £7bn (€8.2bn) for six months to July 31, a 20pc increase on the previous year.
The company made an interim operating profit of £747m (€877m), up 54pc year-on-year.
B&Q launched in Ireland in 2002 and has stores here in Galway, Athlone, Limerick, Naas, Cork and three Dublin stores in Swords, Tallaght and Liffey Valley, employing over 550 people on a full- and part-time basis.