Brico Dépôt remains strong

The French Brico Dépôt chain remains one of the UK Kingfisher group’s strongest-growing retail formats. Overall sales shot up in the third quarter (to 1 November 2003) by 34.6 per cent (or 21.8 per cent in constant currencies), amounting to 11.6 per cent in like-for-like terms. By contrast Castorama, the group’s main retail channel in France, grew by a mere 0.7 per cent in same-store terms. However, the three new stores launched during the third quarter performed better than expected. The new format is testing new ranges, new styles of presentation and a new store layout. It is possible that these locations might become the model for the modernisation of the entire portfolio of stores.
B&Q achieved a like-for-like increase of 1.9 per cent in the United Kingdom. Here, as throughout the whole of Europe, the adverse impact of the summer’s heatwave was noticeable, especially in the categories of interior paint, tiling and floorcoverings. On the other hand, the new range of bedroom furniture is meeting with a good reception.
Altogether Kingfisher recorded sales of £ 1.7897 bn (€ 2.5462 bn) in the period under review, which amounts to a 13.3 per cent increase in retail volume over the same period last year. The quarterly figures in detail:
UK
Retail sales £ mio
Total chance
lfl change
B&Q
953.1
7.6 %
1.9 %
Secrewfix Direct
56.9
18.8 %
18.8 %
Total UK
1,010.0
8.2 %
2.7 %
France
Retail sales £ mio
Change (reported)
Change (constant)
lfl change
Castorama
398.1
11.6 %
1.0 %
0.7 %
Brico Dépôt
219.1
34.6 %
21.8 %
11.6 %
Total France
617.2
18.8 %
7.5 %
4.0 %
International
Retail sales £ mio
Change (reported)
Change (constant)
lfl change
Poland
81.6
22.2 %
22.8 %
14.0 %
Italy
45.0
29.3 %
17.0 %
4.2 %
China
35.5
42.6 %
30.9 %
(3.1 %)
Taiwan
not consolidated
Other international
0.4
Total international
162.5
28.5 %
22.8 %
7.8 %