After applying online, I received a phone call inviting me to an in-person interview. It went well (or so I thought), and they said they'd get back to me soon with an outcome, but unfortunately I was completely ghosted afterwards.
I decided to call the branch a week later to follow up, but the person who interviewed me was unavailable. The person on the phone said they'd pass on a message and get them to call me back, but they never did.
I also asked for an email to try them on, and was given the generic branch address. I sent an email thanking them for inviting me in and to ask if there was an update, but heard nothing.
I didn't get an automated response from the Howdens careers site, either. Three months later, it still says 'Your application is being processed.'