Following today’s release of Kingfisher’s figures for the three months ending 30 April 2026; Ashley Adeyemi, retail analyst at GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform, offers her view: “Kingfisher has delivered a resilient start to FY2026/27, with group underlying like-for-like (LFL) sales of -0.7%, though the figure understates the strength of its performance given the comparative Kingfisher was up against. Last year, B&Q delivered LFL growth of 7.9%, driven by warm Easter weather that pulled forward seasonal demand, making this among the toughest comparatives the group has faced in recent years. Against that backdrop, total sales including marketplaces grew 0.8% this quarter and the DIY retailer maintained its full-year profit guidance of £565m-£625m, a more reassuring picture than the headline LFL figure suggests. Shares rose 4% following the trading update, a result that contrasts sharply with the 10% fall that followed Wickes’ update earlier this month, and potentially a signal that investors view Kingfisher’s diversified model as better placed to absorb the pressures now building across the sector.
“Screwfix remains the group’s standout performer, delivering LFL growth of 4.1%. Core categories, which account for roughly 85% of Screwfix’s sales, grew 5.1%, supported by its app-based rewards programme and Screwfix Sprint, which continue to build loyalty and frequency among trade customers. Meanwhile, B&Q’s LFL sales of -4.1% reflects a late spring that suppressed footfall and weighed on seasonal (-7.5%), core (-3.1%) and big-ticket (-2.1%) categories alike, with bathrooms particularly soft, though new kitchen ranges provided a partial offset. Across the group, trade sales grew 17% ex-Screwfix with trade sales penetration reaching 31%, and e-commerce grew 14% ex-Screwfix with group online penetration at 22%, both continuing the sustained momentum that has defined Kingfisher’s strategic progress over the past two years. TradePoint posted LFL sales of -1.6%, also against a strong comparative and with fewer outdoor projects due to weather, though the opening of its first standalone store targeting trade professionals in dense urban areas signals a meaningful step in ramping up direct competition with Wickes, whose TradePro sales grew 4% in its Q1 (17 weeks ending 25 April). A dedicated format could give Kingfisher an edge over Wickes in what is becoming an increasingly competitive battle for the trade customer.
“France continues to be a challenge for the group. Castorama delivered its third consecutive quarter of sequential LFL sales improvement at -1.1%, a trajectory that suggests the restructuring is beginning to take hold, while LFL sales at Brico Dépôt declined 3.1% with big-ticket spend down 9.2% across the French division as elevated consumer-savings rates weigh heavily on project spend. That has been the story in France for quite some time, raising the question of how to unlock spending in a market where consumer and housing-related demand remain weak. Brico Dépôt’s trade penetration has grown to 16% with trade sales up 28%, and that momentum is encouraging, but trade remains too small a share of the overall business to compensate for the weakness across core and big-ticket.
“Kingfisher’s focus on trade and digital is delivering, and the profit guidance reaffirmation is reassuring, certainly for investors. But Wickes’ results published earlier this month tell the same underlying story: core DIY is softening, big-ticket is under pressure, and the consumer backdrop has deteriorated further amid geopolitical uncertainty and persistent cost pressures. However, with two thirds of consumers expecting the cost of tradespeople to rise (according to GlobalData’s inflation index for April 2026), more households are likely to take smaller projects into their own hands to keep costs down, and retailers will need to be ready to capture that shift. As the sector’s biggest players continue to double down on trade, the risk is that the everyday DIY customer becomes underserved. Retailers that have not maintained a strong DIY range, clear in-store inspiration and accessible price points may find themselves poorly positioned to capture that demand.”
