The Scotsman

TESTING

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Sales at B&Q were battered by the Beast from the East in the first quarter as the DIY retailer was forced to close stores in the face of extreme weather.

Figures from the chain’s parent company, Kingfisher, yesterday showed that like-for-like sales in the three months to 30 April fell by 9 per cent. Total sales at B&Q in the period also declined, by 8.8 per cent to £828 million.

The freezing weather hit footfall and sales in weatherrel­ated categories, while some stores were forced to shut.

Kingfisher chief executive Veronique Laury also pointed to weak consumer demand as denting the firm’s performanc­e. She said: “It was a challengin­g start to the year, with exceptiona­lly harsh weather across Europe and weak UK consumer demand.

“This impacted footfall, especially sales of weatherrel­ated categories. February and March were particular­ly affected, with sales improving over the course of April and into May. Market conditions continue to be mixed. The UK is uncertain.”sister company

0 There was a sharp fall in like-for-like sales at the chain due to the weather

VERONIQUE LAURY, CEO Screwfix, the group’s standout performer, booked a 3.6 per cent increase in comparable sales.

But it was not enough to stop the group from posting a 4 per cent slide in like-for-like sales in the quarter.

Total sales at the group were down 1.2 per cent to £2.8 billion, while UK sales dipped 3.7 per cent to £1.2bn.

B&Q is in the middle of an overhaul, which has seen it shut 65 shops and slash around 3,000 jobs in the UK and Ireland over the last two years. But Laury insisted her turnaround was beginning to bear fruit.

“We are on track to deliver our One Kingfisher strategic milestones for the third year in a row and we continue to see tangible delivery of our plan,” she said.

“Around 40 per cent of our ranges are now unified and continue to be well received by customers.

“Sales of these ranges, excluding outdoor products, are up, and we expect to grow the full year group gross

“It was a challengin­g start to the year, with exceptiona­lly harsh weather across Europe and weak UK consumer demand.”

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