NEWS Kingfisher reports 60 percent increase in sales


Kingfisher has revealed that its sales grew by more than 60 percent in the first quarter of the year. The company, which owns B&Q and Screwfix, saw like-for-like total sales increase by 64.2 percent to £3,448m in the three months ending on 30 April. Following the increase, the


group has upped its predictions for the first half’s pre-tax profits,


estimating results in the mid-to- high teens. However, it said that it expects demand to drop in the second half by 5 to 15 percent, due to the uncertainty around the country’s economy and a decrease in people staying at home.


Thierry Garnier, CEO of


Kingfisher, said: “I am extremely grateful to all our colleagues for their continuous hard work and


flexibility, enabling our banners to remain trading safely during these difficult times. “The group delivered strong


sales growth in the first quarter, with LFL sales up 64 percent and up by 23 percent on a two- year basis. This is a testament to the efforts of our colleagues, the skill and professionalism of our supply chain teams, and the responsiveness in managing


Online bathroom retailer Victoria Plum announces record 46% increase in sales


Online bathroom retailer Victoria Plum has announced that its sales rose by a record 46 percent to £103m for the year ended 28 February 2021. In addition, the Doncaster, South Yorkshire, headquartered business saw its EBITDA increase by 115 percent to £4.5m. Over the same period, the company grew its headcount from 349 to 398.


This year marks Victoria


Plum’s twentieth in business and one-and-a-half years since the company was acquired by Leeds-based


private equity


fund Endless. During that time, Victoria Plum has continued its


successful management-led turnaround and transformation strategy under the leadership of chief executive, Paul McClenaghan.


Retailers unite to call for Government to avoid abuse of shopworkers


This included launching a


bathroom design and installation service in 2020, a move which has clearly differentiated the company, creating higher value transactions


customer relationships.


Commenting on the business’s performance, chief executive Paul McClenaghan said: “We have an ambitious growth strategy, highly capable people throughout the company and a collective determination to further accelerate our rate of expansion. These latest record results


validate our approach


and provide us with the platform to progress our plans at pace.”


Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill”, and provides clear opportunities to encourage Government to legislate to protect and support shopworkers.


Retailers, unions, trade and industry bodies are standing together, writing to the Prime Minister to say that legislation is needed to protect the three million people that work in the retail sector however, Government is so far rejecting the calls stating that ‘it remains unpersuaded of the need for a specific offence.’ As previous legislation


to protect shopworkers in England and Wales failed at the end of the last Parliamentary session,


retailers are now


A coalition which consists of more than 30 major retail businesses, are urging MPs to avoid shackling over three million shopworkers to a “life sentence” of violence, abuse and anti-social behaviour by encouraging them to back an amendment to a flagship Government crime bill which would offer frontline workers greater protection. The call for stiffer penalties for those committing assaults and


4 DIY WEEK MAY 2021


attacks on shopworkers comes as a new report


is “Breaking


the Cycle: Gaining the views of criminal justice practitioners and retail offenders on effective sentencing” The


launched.


“A Smarter Approach to Sentencing and the Police,


research – written by Dr Emmeline Taylor and funded through the Co-op’s Safer Colleagues, Safer Communities, campaign – offers a response to the White Paper


urging Government’ to change its mind and bring forward an amendment - or new clause – to its Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill, which would deliver greater protection for all frontline shopworkers. The new research supports


the Bill’s intention to increase the maximum penalty for assaulting an emergency worker from 12 months to two years imprisonment and, to


provide the courts with


enhanced powers to sentence in those situations in a way that reflects the severity of that particular offence.


and enhanced


daily changes within all our store operations. “We continue to see high levels of demand from both new and existing customers, with clear progress made on our ‘Powered by Kingfisher’ strategic priorities.


“With the strong start to the


year, we now anticipate first half sales and adjusted pre-tax profit to be ahead of our previous expectations.


“Whilst the second half of the financial year remains naturally uncertain, we continue to see supportive long-term trends for our industry and are confident of continued outperformance of our wider markets.”


Completion of demerger and admission of shares in Wickes


Wickes has announced the completion of the demerger of Wickes from Travis Perkins plc following the General Meeting of Travis Perkins shareholders on 27 April who approved the demerger. The shares of Wickes were admitted on 28 April


to the


premium listing segment of the Official List and to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. On Admission, Wickes’ issued share capital consisted of 252,143,923 shares


with a nominal value


of £0.10 each and all Wickes shares carry voting rights of one vote per share. Wickes does not hold any shares in treasury. David Wood, Chief Executive


Officer of Wickes, commented: “Today marks a transformational moment for Wickes as we begin our journey as a standalone business. I am delighted with


Senior team expands as CMOStores group eyes further growth


Ambitious South West- based e-commerce company CMOStores.com has expanded its senior team with the appointment of Alan Edmondson as customer experience director.


Edmondson, a leading


figure in marketing and digital transformation, has joined the building products and DIY retailer as it looks to cement its ambitious growth plans following a highly successful year in 2020, which saw the CMOStores Group acquire Ipswich-based Total Tiles.


In the newly-created role, Edmondson will act as the voice of authority on CMO’s customers, ensuring that they are at the heart of the company’s decision-making; he will ultimately be responsible for customer advocacy within the group. Commenting


on his


our performance in the last year. I would like to thank all my colleagues for their


hard


work, dedication and focus on delivering for our customers during such challenging times. We are well positioned to capitalise on the exciting growth opportunities we see in our markets while creating long-term value for all our stakeholders. “I would like to extend my thanks to my colleagues at Travis Perkins. I am deeply appreciative of their support through this process, and wish them the very best for the exciting next chapter in their business.”


Alan Edmondson


appointment, Edmondson said: “I have long been an admirer of CMO and have seen its transformation into one of UK’s most innovative and forward- thinking digital retailers, so I am excited to be a part of that journey now, working with the company to drive the next phase of growth as we cement customer at the heart of our ambition.”


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