case studies

1
Creating the Leader
Case studies
EASIER
COMMON
TradePoint launches new transactional website
(driven by Screwfix know-how)
TradePoint, B&Q’s trade only business, launched its first
transactional website in May, featuring 7,000 products to
browse and buy online largely drawn from the Screwfix
range. The site also features a further 12,000 products
which can be browsed for purchase in-store.
Brico Dépôt’s ‘Energer’ hand & power tool range
launched in Screwfix
In January 2013 Brico Dépôt’s ‘Energer’ hand and power
tool range was launched in Screwfix. The new range is the
result of a joint buying trip made by the Brico Dépôt and
Screwfix teams to Shanghai in 2012.
The re-launched website – www.trade-point.co.uk – will enable
TradePoint’s 1.2 million members to check prices and purchase
items for delivery to site, making it easier to plan and quote for
jobs. A ‘click, pay & collect’ offer is due to be rolled out later this
year and the site will be further improved for viewing on mobile
devices reflecting the growing use of mobile among tradesmen
to source and purchase materials.
The development was made possible by Screwfix’s online
expertise, providing further evidence that Screwfix is the
omnichannel expert within Kingfisher.
15 Energer lines have been introduced to Screwfix, including
sanders, drills, saws, screwdrivers and glue guns, at affordable
prices for everyday jobs.
The Screwfix own-label ‘Site’ branded work wear launched in
stores in September 2012, and following successful trials will
be rolled out into Brico Dépôt France in 2013.
Our Operating Companies are increasingly embarking on joint
sourcing and buying trips to leverage our scale and accelerate
innovation. This will stimulate overall market demand and
grow our like-for-like (‘LFL’) sales and our market share.
This is part of Kingfisher’s medium term aim to develop a
product range where 50% of the best products are shared
between our businesses.
Over 2.4 million hits for B&Q’s ‘You Can Do It’ YouTube
channel (to date)
In March 2012, B&Q officially launched over 100 YouTube
‘How to’ videos to help the nation do their own DIY projects
and say ‘I did that’. Since then the videos have been viewed
over 2.4 million times.
The ‘You Can Do It’ channel features ideas and know-how to
help people get started on home improvement and DIY jobs
step-by-step, from how to grow tomatoes to learning how to
hang wallpaper. B&Q’s own employees appear in the videos,
sharing their knowledge and giving expert advice, and B&Q’s
celebrity ambassador Kirstie Allsopp also stars in films to
help homeowners create a stylish home to be proud of.
B&Q used home improvement-related web searches in
order to tailor the videos it produced, which were refreshed
in May following customer insights. Three of the most popular
videos are:
Castorama France and B&Q UK share best-selling tiling ranges
B&Q UK’s tiling offer underwent a major range change in
2012. The overall range was reduced from c3,000 to 600
core products, making the tiles easier to shop and enabling
stores to carry 100% stock availability. Sample tiles were
introduced to make it easier for customers to envisage how
the products would look in their homes, and the ranges were
displayed in four ‘style houses’ to help customers to mix and
match key looks in the home.
All B&Q tiles are now under the Kingfisher ‘Colours’ range and
a growing proportion of the range is common across the Group,
with B&Q UK and Castorama France joining forces on buying
trips, product development and merchandising.
1. How to lay a laminate flooring
2. How to paint a room
3. How to lay a patio
www.kingfisher.com
2
Creating the Leader
Case studies continued
EXPAND
New format stores opened in France
In 2012/13 a Castorama France store was opened near
the Eiffel Tower in Paris and a further five were either
revamped and/or extended.
The Chambourcy store, pictured, was relocated before being
reopened in the new, easier to shop format, improving the
in-store experience for the customer. The new format is based
on 100% availability of stock and product displays arranged
in four ‘style houses’ or families of products. Customers can
also use product testing areas, where they can have a go at
tiling, painting or drilling, for example, with help on hand from
a customer adviser. This is part of Castorama France’s ‘LancezVous’, or ‘get started’ programme of making it easier
for customers to carry out their own projects.
5 further store openings are planned for France in 2013/14 –
two for Castorama and three for Brico Dépôt.
Screwfix accelerates store opening programme with 60 new stores
Screwfix has continued to progress its store opening
programme during 2012/13. The business opened 60
new stores taking the total to 275 – equivalent to over 20%
additional space added during the year. This is a significant
achievement given the business only opened its first store
7 years ago.
A further 50 store openings are planned for 2013/14.
Kingfisher’s 1,000th home improvement store opened in Poland
Kingfisher’s 1,000th home improvement store opened in
September 2012, taking the total number of Castorama stores
in the country to 70. Kingfisher has more than doubled its
number of stores in Poland in the last six years, and increased
its total number worldwide by nearly 50% in the same period.
• The 7,700 square metre store created 118 new jobs
(full- and part-time roles combined).
• It stocks products across categories from building
to gardening and caters to both tradesmen and
‘everyday DIYers’.
• Key features include a kitchen design area, self-service
points and a modern lighting area. The car park has spaces
for 440 vehicles.
• The town of Lublin has a population of 350,000 with over
100,000 students arriving each year to study.
ONE TEAM
The Kingfisher ‘One Academy’ launched for top 250 managers
The Kingfisher ‘One Academy’ was officially launched in 2012,
to support the development of our top 250 leaders. The ‘virtual’
academy promotes a culture of networking and knowledge
sharing among our Operating Companies, and will help us to
ensure we develop the expertise needed among the leadership
team to deliver the Creating the Leader strategy.
In partnership with Ashridge Business School and independent
consultants, the One Academy offers a portfolio of modulebased training programmes and learning experiences, including
online training sessions and webinars to help transfer the
learning into day to day activities. The topics covered include
change management, leadership and finance.
In 2013 two further modules will be added: a commercial
programme, which has already been successfully piloted, and
a Net Positive module, ensuring our management teams are
fully engaged with our cross-Group sustainability plan.
3
Kingfisher launches new ambition to become Net Positive
In October 2012 Kingfisher officially launched its ambition to
become Net Positive by 2050. This is a new approach to doing
business for Kingfisher, building on our belief that to succeed,
business must do more than minimise its negative impact –
it must be designed to have a positive impact on the world.
Our plan is focused on four priority areas, where we believe we
can have the greatest impact – Timber, Energy, Innovation and
Communities. Our Operating Companies have Net Positive built
into their business plans and are working on projects at a local
level that will contribute to the Group’s overall ambition.
For example, Castorama Poland began a programme of
in-store DIY skills lessons for school children in May
2012, as part of the ‘Communities’ pillar of Net Positive.
The ‘Majsterkowo’ programme aims to bring DIY to life for
young people – teaching practical DIY skills, such as making
bird boxes and using leftover materials to create new products
from old. The programme also helps the children understand
about the environment and its protection, the origins of raw
materials and how they are made into products. So far over
3,000 young people have taken part.
B&Q UK has launched a pioneering scheme to bring
unmanaged woodlands into the supply chain, as part of Net
Positive’s ‘Timber’ strand. The Working Woodlands scheme is
supporting local jobs, creating local markets for wood and wood
fuel, enhancing biodiversity and ensuring woodland areas are
accessible as recreational spaces for local communities.
www.kingfisher.com