Kingfisher plc. history, profile and corporate video
Kingfisher plc. is an international home improvement company headquartered in London, England, United Kingdom. It offers home improvement products and services to consumers and trade professionals, including home appliances, tools, home furnishings, hardware, and garden supplies & plants.
HISTORY
Kingfisher’s roots go back to 1982 with the acquisition of FW Woolworth by Paternoster. At that time, Woolworths already owned a relatively small chain of home improvement stores called B&Q. B&Q was originally founded as Block & Quayle in 1969 by Richard Block and David Quayle, and was acquired by the F. W. Woolworth Company in 1980.
In 1984, the company bought the Comet electricals chain.
In 1987, the company acquired Superdrug health and beauty stores.
In 1993, the French electricals chain Darty was acquired.
In 1998, B&Q merged with Castorama, France’s leading home improvement retailer and owner the Brico Dépôt chain.
In 1999, Screwfix, the e-commerce and catalogue seller of screws and fixings, was acquired
In 2001, Woolworths was demerged and Superdrug was sold.
In 2003, Kingfisher was listed on the London Stock Exchange.
In 2013, Kingfisher acquired Bricostore’s 15 home improvement stores in Romania. All stores have been converted into the Brico Dépôt format.
SUBSIDIARIES
Kingfisher operates in eight countries across Europe under retail banners, including B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt, Screwfix, TradePoint and Koçtaş.
- B&Q (United Kingdom and Ireland) – DIY home improvement tools, gardening supplies and plants;
- Brico Dépôt (France, Spain, Portugal, and Romania) – DIY and home improvement tools;
- Castorama (France and Poland) – DIY, home improvement tools, gardening supplies and plants;
- Screwfix (United Kingdom and Ireland) – screws, power tools, hand tools, fixings & accessories, kitchens & bathrooms, electrical & lighting, building & joinery, heating & plumbing, safety & workwear, security & ironmongery, outdoor & gardening.
- Koçtaş (Turkey) – one of the largest home improvement retailers in Turkey.
With more than 80,000 employees and over 1,470 stores, Kingfisher plc. is considered one of Europe’s largest retail conglomerates. According to Forbes, it is considered one of the Largest Public Companies in the World.
*Information from Forbes.com, Wikipedia.org, and www.kingfisher.com/en.
**Video published on YouTube by “kingfisherplc“.