Kingfisher acquires Mr Bricolage

Kingfisher looks set to acquire the French group Mr Bricolage now that the negotiating parties have reached a binding agreement. In addition to Castorama and Brico Dépôt, the British DIY store group will thus gain a third distribution channel in France, which is already its strongest individual sales market.
Issues considered in the negotiations included the conditions for franchisees of Mr Bricolage. The transaction will now be subjected to scrutiny by the cartel authorities and is expected to be completed by the end of Kingfisher’s financial year on 1 February 2015.