Enabling customers to buy when and how they want continues to boost business at Screwfix , which today posted second quarter sales up by 24.5%, compared to the same period last year.
The DIY and trade tools business saw like-for-like sales grow by 13.3% in the quarter to July 31, parent company Kingfisher said in a trading update this morning. Growth, it said, was “driven by its leading omnichannel capability” as well as new branches and wider product ranges. Screwfix, an Elite retailer in IRUK Top500 research, led the way in introducing multichannel shopping to the trade supplies industry, introducing a standout click and collect service that enables customers to pick up as soon as five minutes after placing an order, while next-day delivery is free for orders over £50. Quickshop and catalogue apps enable easy shopping via mobile. The approach has reaped rewards and Kingfisher is now taking the Screwfix business and model to other markets, including Germany.
At Screwfix’ sister company B&Q , a Leading retailer in IRUK research, sales rose by 0.3% at a time when the retailer was closing stores. Like-for-like sales, which strip out the effect of both closures and openings, rose by 5.6%. Kingfisher said closures had resulted in nearby stores benefiting to the tune of around 2%, overall, in like-for-like sales growth.
Overall, Kingfisher’s group sales rose by 8.4% to £3bn, with like-for-like sales up by 3% once currency fluctuations were discounted. UK sales of £1.4bn were up by 0.5%, with like-for-like sales up by 5.6% in constant currency.
The update comes as Kingfisher brings all of its systems and processes together into a single group-wide approach to joined-up retailing. Today chief executive Véronique Laury said: “We continue to focus on our One Kingfisher plan, based on always putting customer needs first.”
She also said that the EU referendum result had created uncertainty for the economic outlook. But, she said: “there has been no clear evidence of an impact on demand so far on our businesses.”
