Kingfisher's foreign legion holds up progress at home

B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher saw the performance of its UK operations undermined by difficulties abroad, as revenues in France and Poland declined.

- FELIX ARMSTRONG

The FTSE-100 company experienced falling sales across its French Castorama (-2.2%) and Brico Depot (-2.3%) divisions and in Poland (-1.1%), while sales climbed by more than 3% at UK operations B&Q and Somerset-based Screwfix.

The DIY retailer has been grappling with stagnant sales in Poland and France - where Castorama ranks among Kingfisher's most persistently underperforming operations, according to analysts.

Kingfisher has concentrated on reducing costs in recent years, having shed £120m in excess expenditure last year.