Popular now
Debenhams Group returns to growth amid PLT recovery

Debenhams Group returns to growth amid PLT recovery

Currys appoints Fredrik Tønnesen as Group CEO

Currys appoints Fredrik Tønnesen as Group CEO

Inditex sales rise 5.8% after strong start to summer trading

Inditex sales rise 5.8% after strong start to summer trading

Kingfisher ups guidance amid strong H1

Kingfisher ups guidance amid strong H1

On this episode of Talking Shop I’m joined by Alain Bejjani—former Group CEO of Middle East retail giant Majid Al Futtaim, and author of the definitive new book, NEXT: Leading Through the New Realities. Drawing on his childhood in war-torn Beirut, and his experience steering a $9.5bn dollar retail and lifestyle empire through a global pandemic, Alain brings an unmatched perspective on leadership under pressure. Today, we break down his crisis survival playbook for retailers operating in distress. We discuss why resilience must always outpace efficiency, the four assets a brand must protect at all costs, and how to turn macro-turmoil into a long-term direction that scales.

Register to get free articles

No spam Unsubscribe anytime

Want unlimited access? View Plans

Already have an account? Sign in

Kingfisher has revealed that it is now targeting the “upper end” of its full year 25/26 adjusted PBT of between £480m to £540m, and free cash flow of between £480m to £520m after a strong half year.

During the period, the company saw its sales rise to £6.81bn for the half year ended 31 July 2025, up from £6.76bn in the previous period, a 0.9% increase on a constant currency basis.

The company also saw its statutory pre-tax profit rise 4.1% to £388m, up from £324m in the same period last year. Its operating profit rose 2.1% to £383m, up from £374m.

As part of this, Kingfisher’s retail profit rose 7.1% on a constant currency basis to £452m, up from £420m in the previous half year.

The business stated that it saw strong UK performance across both B&Q and Screwfix with a LFL of 4.4% and 3.0% respectively.

It also stated that it saw market share gains in the UK, France and Spain, while Poland was broadly in line with the market.

CEO Thierry Garnier said: “We delivered a strong first half with high quality underlying like-for-like sales growth of 1.9%, driven by increased volumes and transactions. Our teams continue to execute at a high level, delivering double-digit growth in our strategic initiatives, trade and e-commerce, which supported our market share gains. We were encouraged by underlying quarter-on-quarter growth in our core categories, and a third consecutive quarter of growth in big ticket sales.

“In a higher cost environment, we remain disciplined on managing costs and cash. Our margin and operating cost initiatives combined with the positive impact of our strategic drivers enabled us to deliver 10.2% growth in adjusted PBT and 16.5% growth in adjusted EPS. Free cash flow rose by 13.5%.”

He added: “Our expectations for our markets for the year remain consistent with what we outlined in March, whilst mindful of mixed consumer sentiment and political uncertainty. Combined with our H1 performance, this gives us the confidence to upgrade our full year profit and free cash flow guidance and to accelerate our share buyback programme. We remain focused on executing our strategic priorities, maintaining cost discipline and driving shareholder returns.”

Previous Post
Bodycare to close all remaining stores with 444 jobs lost

Bodycare to close all remaining stores with 444 jobs lost

Next Post
BRC warns food inflation could stay above 5% until 2026

BRC warns food inflation could stay above 5% until 2026