Kingfisher raises its profit forecast for fiscal year 2025/26 thanks to cost savings, despite declining sales outside the United Kingdom.
UK growth
In the third quarter (up to 31 October), Kingfisher achieved group sales of 3.25 billion pounds (3.8 billion euros). That is barely 1 % more than a year earlier, despite positive exchange rate effects. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, sales rose by 4.2% to 1.68 billion pounds (just under two billion euros).
In France, sales increased by 0.7 % to 974 million pounds (1.1 billion euros), but at constant exchange rates there was a decline of 2.6 %. In Poland, reported turnover grew by 2.9 % to 481 million pounds (560 million euros), but here too there was a decline (by 1.2 %) at constant exchange rates. In other international activities, there was even a decrease of 33.5 % to 112 million pounds (130 million euros).
Profit forecast raised
The group, which includes B&Q, Brico Dépôt and Castorama now expects adjusted pre-tax profits of between 540 million and 570 million pounds (630 to 670 million euros) for the full financial year (to 31 January 2026). Previously, the group had targeted a range of 480 to 540 million pounds.
CEO Thierry Garnier describes the past quarter as “high quality” and praises the “strategic initiatives in e-commerce” in the most important categories. “B&Q, Screwfix and Iberia continue to continue to strongly outperform their markets”, the CEO adds, saying this gives him “the confidence to raise our profit forecast for the full financial year.”
