B&Q targets kitchens overhaul

Home improvement giant B&Q is to put its kitchens offer at the centre of a plan to cut store ranges and become a better multichannel retailer.

The company - part of the pan-European Kingfisher group - says it will overhaul its kitchens collection with fresh designs in a move that will also result in a significantly reduced range.

Its kitchens offer is among five of its 19 total product categories being comprehensively tested with a tighter range in store but improved availability and broader range of complementary products online.

B&Q said its kitchens would benefit from an improved 'Every Day Great Value' message, a quicker and easier web based design tool and a significantly reduced range together with new choice.

It plans to support the proposal with better online content, best in class Click, Pay & Collect and home delivery. Its strategy is in keeping with its proposals to ‘rightsize’ its store portfolio, with a number of its superstores now deemed larger than necessary. 

It backed this up by saying the first ‘rightsize’ trial was a success, with a 50 per cent store reduction seeing a 70 per cent improvement in sales densities. It earmarked another 17 stores to undergo a similar process, and expects around seven of those to complete once planning approval is gained.

B&Q also said it was hiring former Mothercare and Arcadia executive Grahame Smith as property director in the autumn, completing its new-look boardroom.

Kingfisher executive director Kevin O’Byrne assumed direct leadership at B&Q UK and Ireland last October, and has since brought on board three execs from sister firm Screwfix and two further directors from outside the group.

Source : The Furnishing Report
www.thefurnishingreport.com/index.php/distribution/national/2072-baq-targets-kitchens-overhaul-as-it-completes-new-look-board