Buying strength

Good progress has been made on the direct sourcing of goods by individual Kingfisher businesses in recent years, to the extent that we are now better placed to move towards more cross-Group sourcing.

We recognise that our suppliers hold the key to us achieving our future Group sourcing ambitions. Finding the best manufacturers to meet our exacting standards for quality, innovation, exclusivity and value, then developing strong and mutually beneficial relationships with them, is a prerequisite if we are to make the most of our combined buying scale.

Last year 84% of on direct shipments was placed with vendors who supply to at least two Kingfisher businesses. In addition, China remains our most important sourcing market. We also worked to establish a truly global supplier base with direct sourcing vendors located across 32 different countries.