Kingfisher suffers in the UK but France sales strong

21st Jul 2011 07:23

Kingfisher, the FTSE 100 DIY retailer, saw sales down 0.5% in the second quarter of 2011 compared to the same period last year.Total sales including new stores were up 1% if adjustments are made for currency fluctuations.The French operation performed strongly; Castorama was up +1.9% on a like for like basis and the equivalent figure for Brico Dépôt was an impressive 6.1%.The picture in the UK however was grim. Like for like sales were down 5.5% in total, with the iconic B&Q brand seeing a fall of 6.7%. The Screwfix business however did better, showing a sales rise of 10.5%.The firm says adverse weather and a huge stock clearance following the closure of Focus, formerly the UK's fourth largest DIY operator, were the main reasons for the poor performance in its home market.BS