In brief

Britain’s Kingfisher Group recorded sales amounting to GBP 10.966 bn in fiscal 2014/2015 (ended 31 January 2015), equivalent to a decline of 1.4 per cent from the previous year. At constant currency translation rates the group’s sales increased by 2.9 per cent and on a like-for-like basis by 0.5 per cent.
In France, Kingfisher’s biggest market, currency-adjusted sales fell by 1.0 per cent to GBP 4.132 bn (-6.6 per cent overall, -2.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis).
In Great Britain and Ireland, the group’s sales grew by 5.4 per cent (adjusted for currency effects by 5.5 per cent, like-for-like sales by 3.2 per cent) to GBP 4.600 bn. The increase is due to a large extent to the performance of Screwfix, which grew by 25.5 per cent (13.4 per cent on a like-for-like basis) to GBP 835 mio and opened 60 new stores in fiscal 2014/2015. By contrast, the B&Q DIY chain only grew by 1.9 per cent (like-for-like growth 1.4 per cent).
15 per cent of the retail area of the B&Q distribution channel in Great Britain and Ireland is to be shed, meaning specifically that around 60 stores are to be closed and six reduced in size.
Kingfisher’s Polish stores grew by 0.7 per cent after adjusting for currency effects (like-for-like: 0.4 per cent) to a sales volume of GBP 1.055 bn. Sales by the Russian Castorama stores came to GBP 408 mio, an increase of 19.0 per cent (14.9 per cent on a like-for-like basis). Devaluation of the rouble had a huge effect on profits here.
Sales deriving from the Turkish joint venture with Koçtas¸ improved by 13.1 per cent (like-for-like: 4.2 per cent) to GBP 319 mio, while sales in Spain increased by 14.2 per cent to GBP 306 mio, although like-for-like sales declined by 5.5 per cent. The Chinese B&Q stores accounted for GBP 361 mio, thus showing a decline of 9.8 per cent (like-for-like: -9.7 per cent).

Travis Perkins has announced an increase of 8.8 per cent on a total revenue volume of GBP 1.283 bn in 2014 for its consumer division. The main distribution chain is the DIY retail chain Wickes with 232 stores and in addition, the Toolstation chain with 184 stores. Wickes expanded its number of stores by four over the year and Toolstation added 33 more stores. The new store…