B&Q, which posted sales of £2.27bn (2012: £2.26bn) and retail profit of £141m (2012: £143m) in the first half, said outdoor seasonal product sales – including fencing and decking – were up around 17% in Q2 compared to a year ago.
The growth made up for the 11% sales decline in the product area in Q1 and meant first-half outdoor seasonal product sales were up 6%. Sales of indoor products were down by around 3% during the period.
B&Q owner Kingfisher plc said sales patterns were unusually volatile across the first half, driven by record cold weather in Q1 followed by better weather in Q2.
Kingfisher’s Screwfix business continues to grow faster than B&Q, with sales up 14.6% to £313m, boosted by extended opening hours, new ranges, new outlets and the launch of a mobile “click, pay & collect” service. Screwfix now extends to 294 branches, with 47 additional sites to open in the second half.
Homebase, part of Home Retail Group, also reported a strong increase in outdoor seasonal product sales during the summer. The products represented 40% of total sales in the quarter ended August 31.
Total Homebase sales in the quarter were up 9.3% to £400m.
“Overall, Homebase traded well through its peak period,” said Terry Duddy, Home Retail Group chief executive.
