Negative like-for-like

Kingfisher has announced a 1.9 per cent fall in like-for-like sales for the ten weeks to 11 July 2009. Sales revenue increased by 0.9 per cent altogether. Like-for-like sales were 0.6 per cent down in the United Kingdom. B&Q saw a positive development in like-for-like terms, with growth of 0.7 per cent. Europe’s major DIY retailer registered a 2.9 per cent fall in like-for-like sales for France, which is mainly due to Brico Dépôt’s results (-5.6 per cent like-for-like). Sales revenue dropped by 2.7 per cent like-for-like in the other countries abroad (Poland, China, Spain, Ireland and Russia). Poland is the odd one out here, with an increase of 3.5 per cent. In China (-13.2 per cent like-for-like) the number of B&Q stores was cut by 15 to 48 from March to the end of June.