Castorama and Brico Dépôt also as franchise stores

Kingfisher is opening up to franchising in France. In its half-year report, the British DIY retail group announces that it will launch a test run with two franchise stores in the Castorama sales division over the next nine months.

CEO Thierry Garnier commented specifically on this in an interview with the French trade magazine Zepros Habitat: "I see franchising as a way to better operate certain Castorama stores and to open Brico-Dépôt locations in rural areas where we cannot open them ourselves," he said. In addition to the two Castorama test stores, he also mentioned a first Brico Dépôt franchise location, for which no date has yet been set.

The full interview (in French) can be read here.