Kingfisher acquires NeedHelp services marketplace

Most of NeedHelp's business is currently in France, but the platform also operates in Switzerland and has recently expanded into Germany, Belgium, Austria, and the Netherlands.

Kingfisher has acquired NeedHelp, one of Europe's leading home improvement services marketplaces, for a total cash consideration of around EUR 10 mio. As part of the transaction, Guillaume de Kergariou, the founder of NeedHelp, has reinvested proceeds from the sale in a 20 per cent interest in the business, resulting in Kingfisher owning 80 per cent.

NeedHelp (www.needhelp.com) is an Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C) online platform that connects customers who need home improvement help, either in-store or online, with vetted professional tradespeople and other skilled experts.

The company was founded in France in 2014 by Guillaume de Kergariou, who will continue as CEO to lead the team and grow the business. While most of its business is currently in France, NeedHelp also operates in Switzerland and has recently expanded into Germany, Belgium, Austria, and the Netherlands. Through its open architecture, NeedHelp already provides its services to customers in more than 500 stores including Kingfisher's French businesses, Castorama and Brico Dépôt, as well as to a growing number of leading home improvement retailers.

Along with developing NeedHelp's business in Europe with existing and new retail partners, Kingfisher also plans to roll out the platform in the UK and Poland. In the UK, NeedHelp will be able to support B&Q's customers who need assistance with their home improvement projects, as well as cooperate with Screwfix's customer base of trade professionals. NeedHelp will continue to operate as an independent company and will seek to offer its installation capabilities to retail customers across the Home Improvement sector, through its open architecture model.