Kingfisher, the parent company of B&Q and Screwfix, has seen a rise in ecommerce sales, despite reporting a 3.3% drop in overall sales thanks to “unusually poor spring weather in the UK”.
In the three months ended 30 April 2023, the group saw total ecommerce sales grow by 4.7%, representing 16.9%, compared to the same period last year.
According to the company, B&Q’s total ecommerce sales increased 14.3% year-on-year in the period, with an overall ecommerce sales penetration of 11.4%, compared to 10% in the same period last year.
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It also reported a continued growth of B&Q’s marketplace reaching 27% of the DIY retailer’s ecommerce sales in April 2023.
Despite, UK and Ireland’s sales increasing by 1.4% to £1.6 billion, the company blamed wet weather for lower sales for garden furniture and barbecues, revealing that its seasonal category saw sales 11% lower in the period.
However, the company’s core and ‘big-ticket’ categories items remained “resilience” with UK sales in that category up by 1.7% on a like-for-like basis.
“As we move through our key trading season, we are pleased to see that sales in our core and ‘big-ticket’ categories, which make up over 80% of our total sales, are showing continued resilience,” CEO Thierry Garnier said.
“The unusually poor spring weather in the UK and France affected our seasonal sales in the quarter, impacting demand for items such as garden and outdoor products.”
The group added that it expects to see lower cost inflation in the second half of the year, due to the easing of raw material and freight costs.
“We have however seen an improvement in trading since early April and anticipate a release of some pent-up demand as the weather continues to improve,” Garnier added.
