UK and Ireland sales were 65pc higher in its first quarterB&Q owner Kingfisher has hiked its half-year profit outlook after seeing sales soar as the DIY boom shows no sign of slowing. The group's B&Q chain saw like-for-like sales rocket 81.9pc higher in the three months to April 30, although trading from a year earlier was impacted by temporary store closures in the first lockdown. It added that like-for-like sales in its second quarter so far across the UK and Ireland are 23.9pc higher. With a similarly strong showing across its international brands and expectations for DIY demand to remain strong, Kingfisher lifted its first half profit outlook to between around £580m and £600m. Its update showed that group-wide like-for-like sales lifted 64.2pc in the first quarter and were 22.5pc higher on a two-year basis.

Source: Irish Independent May 20, 2021 08:37 UTC