Kingfisher only increases sales in the UK and Ireland in 2023/2024

Kingfisher closed its 2023/2024 financial year (ending 31 January 2024) with a decline in sales of 1.8 per cent on a constant currency basis and 3.1 per cent on a like-for-like basis. The sales volume totalled GBP 12.980 bn (EUR 15.133 bn). From the British group's perspective, the year was more positive in its domestic market than in France and other foreign markets.

In the UK and Ireland, Kingfisher increased sales by a total of 3.0 per cent and like-for-like sales by 0.8 per cent compared to the previous financial year, generating GBP 6.287 bn (EUR 7.445 mio). As in the past, the Screwfix sales division achieved significantly higher growth of 7.4 per cent - although like-for-like growth was only 1.4 per cent - than the DIY sales division B&Q with 0.3 per cent.

By contrast, Kingfisher sales in France fell by 5.8 per cent on a currency-adjusted basis and by 5.9 per cent on a like-for-like basis to GBP 4.246 bn (EUR 4.950 bn). Unlike in the UK, the more professional-oriented sales division lost more ground here than the DIY stores: Brico Dépôt's currency-adjusted sales fell by 6.9 per cent (like-for-like -7.1 per cent), while Castorama's like-for-like sales fell by 4.8 per cent in both currency and like-for-like terms.

The Kingfisher annual report also shows declines in sales in all other foreign markets. In Poland, sales fell by 7.4 per cent compared to the previous financial year to GBP 1.694 bn (EUR 1.975 bn) on a like-for-like basis and by 9.5 per cent on a currency-adjusted basis. In Spain and Portugal, the figure was GBP 371 mio (EUR 433 mio) and thus -1.8 per cent (like-for-like and currency-adjusted), in Romania GBP 269 million (EUR 314 mio), and thus -6.4 per cent and -3.3 per cent respectively. The figures for the Turkish joint venture Koçtas are not reported separately.