B&Q sales hit by wet Easter but it hopes to gain in heatwave
B&Q's owner, Kingfisher, reported a decline in sales due to poor weather during Easter but remains optimistic about recovery during the current heatwave. Despite a 0.9% drop in like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland, the company expects a pre-tax profit between £565m and £625m for the year. Kingfisher's strategy to focus on trade customers has shown positive results, with sales to this segment rising significantly.
- ▪B&Q sales fell 4.1% in the first quarter due to wet weather affecting seasonal products.
- ▪Kingfisher expects a pre-tax profit of between £565m and £625m this year.
- ▪Sales to trade customers rose 17%, indicating a successful strategy shift.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — UK |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/26/bq-sales-easter-heatwave-kingfisher-diy-ftse-100-profit |
| Publication time | Tue, 26 May 2026 09:36:35 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-26T09:47:47.733Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-26T09:47:47.733Z |
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| Ranking reason | Story pages are not engagement-ranked. Hub feeds use recency, with optional source-diversified chronological ordering (cap consecutive stories per source). No personalized ranking. |
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B&Q owner Kingfisher said it expects to make a pre-tax profit of between £565m and £625m this year. Photograph: Paul Faith/PAView image in fullscreenB&Q owner Kingfisher said it expects to make a pre-tax profit of between £565m and £625m this year. Photograph: Paul Faith/PAKingfisherB&Q sales hit by wet Easter but it hopes to gain in heatwaveKingfisher, owner of the DIY chain, is top FTSE 100 riser after it says it will stick to full-year profit outlook Business live – latest updates Julia KolleweTue 26 May 2026 05.36 EDTLast modified on Tue 26 May 2026 05.38 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA wet and cold Easter hit sales of barbecues and garden products at the home improvement chain B&Q, but it hopes to make up lost ground during the current heatwave.B&Q owner Kingfisher, which also…
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