B&Q owner Kingfisher today said first-quarter sales at the UK’s biggest DIY chain had been punished by cold weather as shoppers put off spring purchases.
The retailer reported a 2.8% fall in like-for-like UK sales at the chain in the 13 weeks to May 1 as trading was hit by snow as well as a chillier March and April.
The conditions contrasted with much better weather a year earlier although B&Q took some consolation from a 28% jump in roof insulation sales and a 13% rise in retail profits due to cost-saving measures.
Chief executive Ian Cheshire said the firm had seen a "tough first quarter".
"The headwinds we anticipated at the start of the year look set to continue, but we are in good shape and well prepared," he said.
