Kingfisher Plc

Kingfisher plc is a British multinational home improvement retailer and one of Europe's largest home-improvement retail groups, headquartered in London, England. Established through various acquisitions and mergers, the company operates over 1,900 stores across eight European countries, employing approximately 82,000 people. Kingfisher's diverse portfolio includes well-known retail banners such as B&Q (the UK's leading home improvement retailer with over 300 stores), Screwfix (with over 940 trade-focused stores), Castorama (operating in France and Poland), Brico Dépôt, TradePoint, and Koçtaş in Turkey. The company serves more than 20 million customers annually through B&Q alone, offering over 10,000 products ranging from power tools and workwear to garden supplies and building materials. Listed on the London Stock Exchange as a FTSE 100 constituent under the ticker KGF, Kingfisher generated revenues of over €12 billion in recent financial periods. The company's strategic focus centers on 'Better homes. Better lives. For everyone.' with key initiatives including growing different retail banners, accelerating e-commerce capabilities, building data-led customer experiences, and developing own exclusive brands. Kingfisher has invested heavily in digital innovation, including the launch of 'Hello Casto,' a generative AI-powered virtual assistant, and AI-based markdown optimization tools. The company faces ongoing challenges from economic uncertainty and changing consumer sentiment in key markets, particularly in France where like-for-like sales declined 4.3% in recent periods. Despite headwinds, Kingfisher maintains strong market positions across its core markets and continues executing a €300 million share buyback programme while targeting net zero operations by 2040.