Following the release of Kingsfisher’s figures for the six months ending 31 July 2026; Jake Kendrick, retail analyst at GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform, offers his view: “Kingfisher’s H1 FY2026/27 results demonstrate underlying resilience, with the group upgrading its profit before tax guidance (PBT) despite weaker sales amidst, a challenging home-improvement market with subdued consumer demand. Group l-f-l big-ticket spending (kitchen, bathroom and storage products) declined 4.6%, underscoring continued pressure on household budgets, weaker housing activity across Europe and more cautious discretionary DIY spending. Despite this, PBT guidance has been upgraded to £595-635m as gross margins have improved, and costs have been carefully controlled. With CEO Thierry Garnier stepping down; the incoming CEO will inherit momentum in trade and digital but must tackle ongoing weakness in Kingfisher’s core retail proposition.
“B&Q remains under strain. Q2 LFL performance was marginally better than Q1, as heatwaves boosted demand for cooling appliances and outdoor furniture, however, it still has a considerable way to go. Online and TradePoint continued to support B&Q’s offering, with online sales up 19.3% and TradePoint sales up 0.2% to £490m, signalling a shift in demand towards more specialised, service-led propositions and convenient fulfilment. B&Q is facing a threat amid intensifying competition for trade customers, with Wickes’ TradePro sales growing 5% year-on-year in H1 2025/26 (six months ending 27 June 2026), underlining Wickes’ strengthening trade proposition and raising the bar for B&Q to improve availability, service and convenience
“Screwfix shows what a sharper proposition can deliver, even in a challenging market, supported by its trade focus, digital convenience and store expansion, with 16 new stores planned for FY2026/27. Seasonal demand also contributed, with l-f-l seasonal sales up 16.3%, highlighting Screwfix’s ability to capture weather-driven demand through its trade-focused, convenience-led model. Its proposition has also resonated internationally. Screwfix delivered 48% store l-f-l growth in France, reinforcing that trade-led missions and convenience are the most dependable sources of growth. Kingfisher must draw on Screwfix’s success by enhancing its other retail banners with greater product availability and frictionless fulfilment, enabling each retailer to build on its individual strengths and capture more demand.”
