B&Q has blamed a 20% second quarter sales dip in outdoor seasonal products on adverse weather and stock clearance from the former rival Focus DIY business.
B&Q’s owner Kingfisher also said the product line was impacted by a strong first quarter performance (+15%).
Indoor product sales were broadly flat, while total turnover at B&Q was down 6.7%
Kingfisher group chief executive Ian Cheshire said trading conditions in the second quarter had become tougher and the closure of Focus had disrupted the market due to heavy stock clearance at the retailer.
“This clearance activity is now largely complete and looking ahead I am delighted that we have been able to secure excellent new sites for B&Q.
“These are testing times for retailers, particularly in the UK, but also an opportunity for strong businesses such as ours to strengthen their position.”
