Kingfisher sales down in the first half of the year

The British Kingfisher Group closed the first half of its 2024/2025 financial year (ending 31 July 2024) with a drop in sales. Compared to the same period last year, sales fell by 1.8 per cent to GBP 6.756 bn (EUR 8.018 bn), or by 1.4 per cent when adjusted for currency effects. On a like-for-like basis, however, the decline was 2.4 per cent. Only two regions reported like-for-like growth: Spain and Portugal at 2.3 per cent and Romania at 1.5 per cent. The Screwfix sales division in the UK and Ireland also increased its sales by 1.2 per cent. The other sales divisions lost sales on a like-for-like basis: B&Q in the UK and Ireland -1.0 per cent, Castorama and Brico Dépôt in France -7.7 per cent and -6.8 per cent respectively, Poland -0.2 per cent.

The sales trend deteriorated in the second quarter. While the Group's like-for-like sales from February to April 2024 fell just 0.9 per cent…