B&Q UK & Ireland
B&Q is the UK's leading DIY and garden centre retailer and is nearly twice the size of its nearest competitor.
22,801
Employees*
330
Stores*
40,000+
Products in store*
B&Q UK's progress is measured twice a year against Kingfisher's 166-point Steps programme for implementing the Future Homes goals. Performance on 14 issues is rated as minimum action, policy target or leadership position.
* Data correct: 30 January 2010
B&Q UK & Ireland performance:
Progress as at 30 January 2010
- Minimum action
- Policy target
- Leadership position
Our products & services
One Planet Home®
B&Q UK sells an extensive range of One Planet Home® accredited products that can help customers reduce the environmental impact of their homes. Every product is independently assessed by experts at the sustainability charity BioRegional to check it has strong environmental credentials. The range is being continuously expanded and developed. In 2009/10, there were over 4,200 One Planet Home® products, which accounted for 9.9% of B&Q UK sales.
Products have to perform well in one of the following six areas in order to be accredited as One Planet Home®: Save Energy (e.g. insulation), Save Water (e.g. water butts), Recycle and Reuse (e.g. composters), Grow your Own (e.g. seeds), Healthy Homes (e.g. minimal VOC paint) and Conserve Nature (e.g. FSC wood). In addition, suppliers have to reach agreed standards in their QUEST assessment (see B&Q UK – Suppliers).
B&Q UK is working to develop an own-label range of eco products. These will offer the most sustainable options in the product range.
B&Q UK has launched a new eco section on its website which allows customers to view and shop for One Planet Home® products. See www.diy.com/eco. The website brings together a wide range of accredited products and provides useful hints and tips to engage customers on ways to reduce their eco footprint.
Energy-efficient products
In September 2009, B&Q UK doubled its range of energy-efficient lighting across stores. The extended range aims to cater for every lighting solution in and around the home, and includes a dimmable energy-efficient bulb. With over 200 different varieties of bulb, this is believed to be the most comprehensive range of energy-efficient lighting in the UK. See news item on B&Q UK's energy-efficient lighting.
B&Q UK has a target for all its domestic washing machines, dishwashers, electric cookers, fridges and fridge freezers to be classified as 'A' rated or above according to the EU energy standards by the end of 2010, and is on track to meet this commitment.
Eco design
B&Q UK is working together with Kingfisher on a project to develop eco-design guidelines.
The company has buying standards to embed sustainability into product sourcing decisions. The buying standards cover energy efficiency, water-using products, lighting, chemicals, paint, timber, peat and invasive plant species. See buying standards on the B&Q UK website.
- 4,200
– One Planet Home® products - 200+
– Range of over 200 energy efficient light bulbs
As part of its commitment to One Planet Living®, B&Q UK has developed an eco plan for packaging. In September 2009, the company signed up to a new Home Improvement Sector Agreement to reduce packaging on B&Q own- and exclusive-label products by 15% by 2012 (from a 2007 baseline) and to help consumers recycle more.
B&Q UK is working to make packaging easier for customers to recycle through increased use of materials that are widely recycled. It is also rolling out a new retail industry on-pack recycling label for packaging. This is designed to encourage recycling by providing an easy-to-understand and recognisable symbol for consumers – avoiding potential confusion that can arise from different types of label. B&Q UK aims to make all own-label packaging recyclable by 2013 and to use 75% recycled content in own-label packaging by the same date.
B&Q UK works with suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of packaging through its supplier assessment programme known as QUEST (Quality, Ethics, Environment and Safety). The company has Packaging Best Practice Guidelines to support implementation of the QUEST packaging principles. They outline environmental best practice and minimum requirements for different types of packaging. For example, they specify that card and plastic packaging should contain a minimum recycled content of 50% and they encourage 100% recycled content where practical. B&Q also states that alternatives to PVC and expanded polystyrene (EPS) should be sought (because these materials are hard to recycle). The quality assurance department checks compliance with QUEST and the Packaging Guidelines as part of the new product approval process. For example, EPS is being eliminated from flat pack furniture, and the target is to eliminate all use of EPS by the end of 2010.
During 2009, the company has focused on reducing the environmental impact of packaging in key areas including lighting, hand tools, power tool accessories, fertilisers and chemicals. For example, it has worked with suppliers to redesign and reduce the size of packaging on a number of lighting products, removing significant amounts of plastic and polystyrene.
The use of reusable Carrierpacs for kitchen worktops has saved more than £1 million on packaging costs since they were introduced in 2008 and around 1,200 tonnes of cardboard. The company has started trials to introduce a similar solution for large kitchen items.
- 15%
– Target to reduce packaging by 15% by 2012 (from 2007)
B&Q UK sells more than 22,000 different products made from or containing wood. In 2009/10, 95% of the volume sold was from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certified sources (with full chain of custody) or made from recycled timber.
The company aims for 100% of its timber to be compliant with its stated policy by the end of 2010, to ensure it is traceable to proven, well-managed forests or recycled sources. B&Q UK is taking a leadership position on sustainable timber sourcing by monitoring compliance not only for timber products but for every single item in store that contains wood, such as hammer handles, wallpaper and even the wood you don't see in products, such as the mounting behind a mirror.
A number of key product categories are now fully FSC certified or working towards FSC certification through a TFT project. This includes all timber used in kitchen carcasses and doors, as well as garden furniture. In September 2009, B&Q UK secured FSC certification for its entire supply of tropical plywood. This is a global first as historically it has been difficult to secure FSC certification for this volume of timber (see news article on FSC-certified tropical plywood).
In an effort to apply the same principles across the business, the building specification for new stores requires building contractors and suppliers to source policy compliant timber. At B&Q UK's new store in New Malden, FSC-certified timber was used throughout its construction, along with other environmental features such as rainwater harvesting and solar thermal heating.
All new product ranges made from or containing wood must comply with the timber policy. A regular timber audit is carried out to verify the source and certification status of all products made from and containing wood and any supplier found to be supplying uncertified timber must agree an action plan to comply with the timber policy within an agreed timescale.
B&Q UK has gained chain-of-custody certification for all its stores for all products that carry the FSC and PEFC logos. The certification followed an audit of B&Q's procurement and handling of certified wood products by the Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood programme. It is one of the world's largest multi-site chain-of-custody certification projects to date, covering over 300 stores and 17,000 product lines. It is helping the company win new trade contracts.
B&Q UK was one of the founder members of the FSC in the 1990s and continues to participate actively in the FSC UK Working Group, FSC UK Steering Group, PEFC UK Board, The Forest Trust (TFT) and WWF UK's Forest and Trade Network (FTN).
B&Q UK has signed up to the Prince's Rainforests Project to stop tropical deforestation. Watch a video of Euan Sutherland, Chief Executive of B&Q UK, talking about the company's support for the Rainforests Project.
- 95%
– Timber volume from proven well-managed or recycled sources - Tropical plywood
– Entire supply now FSC certified
B&Q UK's approach to chemicals management is set out in its DIY Detox policy. This document includes restricted substances lists, which are based on the Kingfisher Chemical Action List. List 1 chemicals are not permitted in any product sold by B&Q UK. List 2 chemicals are only permitted following a risk assessment and where no viable alternatives exist.
DIY Detox forms part of B&Q UK's contract with its suppliers. Compliance is assessed through supplier audits, during product approval and when the chemicals lists are revised. During product approval, for example, B&Q UK may require third-party laboratory tests to ensure restricted substances are not present. These tests are carried out where there is a legal requirement, or when it is considered that a restricted chemical could be present.
B&Q UK engages with suppliers to ensure compliance with the EU REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals). All suppliers have been contacted about REACH and asked to declare any chemicals on the 'candidate list' of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) identified under REACH. In addition, chemical substances imported by B&Q UK from outside the EU have been pre-registered. It is company policy to substitute (where possible) REACH 'candidate list' chemicals.
B&Q UK has been working with partner organisations on alternative materials for some of its core products. For example, a project is underway with York University's Green Chemistry Department to identify whether agricultural wastes such as wheat stalks can be used to manufacture MDF boards. The aim of this project is to eliminate formaldehyde and move to an entirely bio-based product. This project is sponsored by DEFRA through the Renewable Materials LINK Programme. The company is also collaborating with the REACH Centre at Lancaster University on a study of chemicals in the interior environment.
B&Q UK has been working for a number of years to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paints, dating back to 1995 when the company developed a VOC labelling system which was subsequently adopted by others in the industry. The average VOC of the paints sold now is considerably lower than ten years ago. For example, all B&Q's Colours wall paints are minimal VOC, meaning they are practically VOC free. Collaboration with paint suppliers has also resulted in the development of water-based paint technologies, particularly for glosses.
B&Q works with other retailers on chemicals issues, and is a member of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Chemicals Working Group. The company maintains links to the chemical industry and to NGOs with an interest in chemical issues.
- DIY Detox
– Part of B&Q UK's contract with its suppliers
Our stores & operations
Cutting CO2 emissions
In accordance with its strategy to become a One Planet Living® business, B&Q UK has an ambition to reduce its direct CO2 emissions by 90% by 2023, against a 2006/07 baseline. It has set an interim target to reduce direct CO2 emissions by 20% by 2012/13 (from 2006/07). In 2009, B&Q UK calculated that it had achieved an absolute reduction of 16% against the 2006/07 baseline.
B&Q UK's CO2 figures include direct CO2 emissions from store energy, transport (haulage and business travel), waste, water and effluent. Specific action plans and targets have been set on these key issues to work towards the ambitious 90% CO2 reduction. See progress on B&Q UK – Transport, B&Q UK – Waste and B&Q UK – Sustainable materials and water for details of the targets and progress in these areas. See text below for initiatives to reduce energy.
B&Q UK was one of the first organisations to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standard – a certificate to recognise companies that have reduced their carbon footprint throughout the preceding three-year period (see news article on the Carbon Trust Standard). It has signed up to the climate change 10:10 campaign to reduce emissions in 2010. Visit the 10:10 website for more information.
Zero carbon buildings
B&Q UK aims for all new stores to be 'zero carbon' from 2012 and for all electricity for existing stores to be 'zero carbon' by 2023. It has committed to achieving this through energy efficiency measures, use of renewable energy generated on-site or purchased from a dedicated off-site source which must represent new renewable energy.
The company's store in New Malden, Surrey (which opened in January 2009) incorporates a range of green technologies including solar thermal water heating, 108 underground boreholes for heating and cooling, rainwater harvesting and a green roof. In February 2009, a 2MW wind turbine became operational at the distribution centre in Worksop, supplying approximately 30% of the building's required energy. The company has incorporated plans for biomass heating into the new head office building (opening in 2011) and is carrying out a study with the Carbon Trust into the feasibility of extending biomass technologies across existing stores.
Energy efficiency
A range of energy efficiency and sustainability criteria are included in the company's design specification for new stores (see B&Q UK – Sustainable materials and water).
Within its existing stores, a key focus is on improving the energy efficiency of lighting through installation of more efficient lamps and fittings, dimming controls and building management systems. Following a trial in 2008, a half lighting solution was rolled out across 40 stores in 2009. This involved the installation of photocells and a dimming system which switches to half lighting when there is sufficient daylight. These initiatives have been carefully designed not to compromise the store ambience or health and safety requirements. To reduce heating demands, thermostats were reduced from 20°C to 17°C during the day and from 16°C to 15°C at night.
B&Q UK is investing £2.3 million in 2010/11 to improve the energy efficiency of lighting across 37 more stores. The company continues to track performance closely, using an electricity monitoring system which compiles data from half-hourly meters. Monthly performance league tables are sent to regional managers to encourage improvement. A key role of store 'Environment Champions' is to promote energy awareness among fellow employees.
B&Q UK is working to prepare for the new Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme which will begin in 2010.
Supply chain carbon footprint
A research project has been launched with the British Council in China to start to address the carbon footprint in our supply chain. The project is a collaboration between B&Q UK, B&Q China and Kingfisher and involves students from seven universities across the UK and China.
B&Q UK participated in a project run by the UK government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Carbon Trust aimed at encouraging UK-registered manufacturing suppliers to sign up to a free Carbon Trust online seminar on ways to save energy. B&Q UK contacted 25 suppliers of which five participated in the online seminars during December 2009 and January 2010.
- 16%
– Reduction in total CO2 emissions since 2006/07 - 90%
– Ambition to reduce CO2 emissions by 2023 - Zero carbon
– All new stores from 2012 and existing stores from 2023 - £2.3 m
– Investment in energy efficiency measures for lighting
CO2 emissions from transport
In accordance with its strategy to become a One Planet Living® business, B&Q UK has set a long-term target to achieve a 50% reduction in CO2 from transport (including haulage and business travel) by 2023 against the 2006/07 baseline. The company has achieved a 23% reduction since 2006/07. This has been driven by a reduction in the volume of products delivered by B&Q's fleet and improvements in the fleet efficiency. The litres of fuel used per m3 of product delivered to stores have decreased by 4.4% since 2006/07. B&Q UK has also reduced CO2 emissions from business travel (air and road) by 33% since the 2006/07 baseline.
Product distribution
Key initiatives over the past year have been a decrease in the speed at which the fleet can travel to reduce fuel use, and the introduction of 110 double deck trailers to maximise the load carried per vehicle. A further 90 double deck trailers will be rolled out in 2010. These measures have helped to achieve a 6% reduction in litres of fuel per m3 of product delivered in 2009/10 (from 2008/09).
A range of other measures are in place to improve transport efficiency – these include route planning software, modifications to lorries to reduce wind resistance and driver training on fuel-saving techniques.
When B&Q UK delivers stock to its stores, it 'backhauls' new stock from suppliers based nearby to its distribution centres wherever possible. This saves road miles as the supplier doesn't have to make that journey to deliver stock to B&Q. In an effort to minimise its overall carbon footprint, the company sources a number of products locally, e.g. plants and charcoal. See B&Q UK – Sustainable materials and water for more on local procurement.
Travel plans
B&Q UK has a Travel Plans policy which encourages employees to travel to work by alternative means such as car sharing, walking, cycling and public transport. Most new stores are required to adopt formal Travel Plans in order to meet planning consents and a number of stores do this on a voluntary basis. In total, around 40 stores in the UK have an active Travel Plan, as does B&Q's central office (known as the Store Support Office). In late 2009, B&Q UK rolled out a 'Responsible Travel Guide' to all the other stores to encourage alternative modes of transport across the entire store estate.
All the stores with travel plans and the Store Support Office were encouraged to participate in Bike Week 2009 and promote the benefits of cycling. For example, 30 employees at the store in Glasshoughton participated in a sponsored bike ride and the Store Support Office held a 12-hour sponsored bike ride, both raising money for the NSPCC.
A number of stores provide staff with various incentives to encourage alternatives to car use, e.g. subsidised bus passes and protective cycle gear. The store in Durham has a walking bus scheme.
Business travel
To reduce the environmental impact of business travel, there is a CO2 emissions cap for company cars. B&Q UK provides a financial incentive to promote car sharing (employees are entitled to a passenger allowance for each additional employee sharing the same business trip with them).
The company also encourages employees working at the head office (the Store Support Office) to minimise travel through use of video conferencing. A target has been set to achieve a 50% cut in flights within Great Britain by 2012.
- 23%
– Reduction in CO2from transport from 2006/07 - 110
– double deck trailers introduced in 2009/10
Sustainable and local materials
As part of its strategy to become a One Planet Living® business, B&Q UK has made a commitment to maximise use of sustainable and local materials. The company already sources a number of products locally, e.g. plants and charcoal.
A key focus is to drive forward sustainable timber sourcing (see B&Q UK – Timber).
In order to protect peatlands (which are an important habitat and carbon store), B&Q UK is working towards eliminating peat in line with government targets. By the end of 2009, 56% of the total volume of growing media sold was non-peat (58% of bagged growing media, 27% of potted media). The company has stopped selling 100% peat bales. B&Q UK was one of the founding partners of the Growing Media Initiative (GMI), a scheme developed to encourage an increase in peat alternatives. Participating companies must work towards peat dilution targets and companies are awarded one of three membership levels (provisional / full / gold), depending on progress. B&Q UK is currently a provisional member and has applied for full membership based on its 2009 results. In addition, all planting on new B&Q store sites is peat free.
To avoid damage to native flora and fauna, the company has a list of non-native invasive plant species which will not be stocked in any stores. This list is reviewed on an annual basis.
The company has developed Sustainable Procurement Guidance for goods-not-for-resale (GNFR), e.g. office equipment, uniforms and materials used in construction. A new supplier assessment procedure has also been introduced for GNFR suppliers (see B&Q UK – Suppliers).
Store design and construction
B&Q UK’s design specification for new stores includes a range of sustainability criteria such as solar thermal water heating, rainwater harvesting, automatic roof vents (to allow natural ventilation) and natural refrigerants. It also sets out optional features for consideration, including wind turbines and solar walling (designed to absorb heat in the winter and provide a cooler environment in the summer). During construction, the company sets out specific requirements such as use of certified timber and low VOC paints. For all new developments, B&Q UK aims to achieve an ‘excellent’ rating under the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).
The company’s store in New Malden, Surrey (which opened in January 2009) incorporates a range of green technologies including solar thermal water heating, solar photovoltaic panels mounted on the external sunshades, 108 underground boreholes for heating and cooling, rainwater harvesting and a green roof.
B&Q UK is including a range of environmental features in its new head office building (Store Support Office).
Water use
B&Q UK has a target to achieve a 10% reduction in water usage (per m2 of internal sales area) by 2011/12, from a baseline of 2007/08. Although the total water consumption has increased since 2007/08, the company has achieved a 2% reduction per m2 of internal sales area since the baseline. B&Q UK is working to develop best practice guidelines for stores on water use to drive further progress. A questionnaire to identify examples of good practice has been completed by 172 stores.
The company has committed to reducing water use by installing rainwater collection systems in new stores. Five stores now have rainwater collection systems and the company put in place its first green roof (450m2) at the new store in New Malden.
A range of products are stocked to help customers save water in their homes and gardens, e.g. water butts and irrigation systems, aerated taps and dual flush toilets. During 2010, B&Q UK plans to adopt a new label for water efficient products to help consumers easily identify products that use less water. It has also committed to working with others in the industry (via the Bathroom Manufacturers Association) to introduce labelling across all water-using products in the future.
B&Q UK is working in partnership with BioRegional, its One Planet Living® partner, and environmental organisation Waterwise, to effectively map the water impact of its supply chain. This information will be used as a starting point to engage with key suppliers on reducing water use.
- Peat-free
– 56% of growing media sold was peat-free by the end of 2009 - Sustain- ability criteria
– Included in the design specification for all new stores - Water target
– To achieve a 10% reduction in water per m2 by 2011/12 from 2007/08
As part of its strategy to become a One Planet Living® business, B&Q UK is working towards the objective of ‘zero waste’. It has set a target to reclaim, recycle or compost 90% of waste (by weight) by 2012, and aims for no more than 2% of waste (by weight) to be sent to landfill by 2020.
The company switched to a new waste contractor in October 2009 and a key focus is to drive up recycling rates. B&Q UK has worked with its new waste partner to remove traditional skips in over 170 stores and replace them with 1,100 litre wheelie bins. This is to encourage a behavioural change and a move towards increased recycling. The company aims to remove traditional skips from all stores by January 2011. At the same time, it is seeking to ensure that reuse, recycling or composting alternatives are available for all waste materials. For example, new recycling routes for green waste and MDF / treated timber have been put in place across all stores. The company is also working to minimise waste created from discontinued product lines, e.g. by donating the products to approved schemes for reuse (where possible) or sending the products for recycling.
A programme of regular waste audits at stores and office buildings has been introduced to identify areas for improvement. The company has also focused on driving up awareness of waste minimisation and recycling across stores. For example, a key part of the role of each store’s ‘Environment Champion’ is to promote recycling among fellow employees. In 2009, the company removed all desk bins at B&Q’s Store Support Office to encourage recycling.
In line with the Batteries Directive, which was transposed into law in January 2010, all stores now have take-back facilities for customer batteries.
To reduce use of plastic bags, B&Q UK has a number of reusable alternatives (which carry a small fee) – these include a large ‘bag for life’, a wallpaper bag, and a car boot liner. All profits from the reusable bags are donated to B&Q UK’s Job Done! skills for schools programme, to help educate children in basic DIY skills.
By the end of 2009, B&Q UK had reduced the number of single-use carrier bags by 84% (from a baseline of 2007), equating to 37.5 million individual bags saved. In early 2010, the company introduced a standard carrier bag made of 100% recycled plastic to further reduce the environmental impact of bags still requested by customers.
- 90%
– Target to reclaim, recycle or compost 90% of waste by 2012 - Skips removed
– Traditional skips removed in over 170 stores to encourage recycling - 84%
– Reduction in single use carrier bags by the end of 2009 (from 2007)
Our customers
Eco stores
To promote its extensive range of One Planet Home® products (see B&Q UK – Product design), B&Q UK is testing a new eco marketing proposition in a number of stores in 2010. New eco shops within stores are being introduced which provide a one-stop shop for customers looking for eco products, information and advice. The eco shops enable homeowners to get everything they need to create a more sustainable home all in one place and save money while doing so. In addition the company has launched a new eco section on its website so that customers can shop for One Planet Home® products online (see www.diy.com/eco).
In the first phase, B&Q’s flagship stores in New Malden and Sutton are piloting the full eco shop within stores concept. In a further 44 stores B&Q is pulling together all its key energy-saving products into one zone at the front of the store, so that people can easily find everything they need to start reducing their energy bills and carbon footprint at home.
Within the eco shops, there are eco products for people to make their own energy efficiency improvements at home. In addition B&Q UK is offering some new eco-installation services, including boiler and solar thermal water heating installations. The company is also trialling ‘home eco audits’ to help homeowners understand the measures they can implement to cut their home’s environmental impact and running costs.
The company is introducing City & Guilds qualified ‘eco advisers’ and ‘eco experts’ to ensure customers get the best advice. Over 1,700 qualified eco advisers will be in place by September 2010. See the B&Q UK – Employee engagement section for further details.
Home energy makeovers
The B&Q UK store in Sutton has been selected as a partner by the UK government in a trial of a new financing scheme for home energy efficiency improvements, known as Home Energy Pay As You Save (PAYS). The government is providing a combination of grants and interest-free loans to 100 households in Sutton to help finance home energy makeovers and B&Q UK is working in partnership with Sutton Borough Council and BioRegional to deliver the energy efficiency improvements.
The Home Energy Pay As You Save pilot gives local Sutton households the opportunity to invest in energy efficiency and micro-generation technologies in their homes with no upfront cost. Householders will make repayments spread over a long enough period that repayments are lower than their predicted energy bill savings, meaning financial and carbon savings are made by the homeowner from day one. B&Q will carry out a full energy assessment of the Sutton homes involved in the trial, to understand where the owners might be best able to reduce their energy consumption – for example, by improving levels of insulation, increasing draught proofing and introducing solar hot water systems. It will also provide the eco installation services to deliver the improvements.
Marketing eco products
B&Q UK has run a series of price promotions to drive up sales of energy efficient products. For example:
- During a four-day event in October 2009, customers were offered a range of energy-saving products minus VAT (i.e. at a 15% discount)
- From January to March 2009, B&Q UK significantly cut the price of its insulation products (with help of government funding through the CERT scheme). This led to a five-fold increase in sales, with 1 million rolls of insulation sold at £1. This three-month price promotion led to enough materials sold to the public to insulate an extra 117,000 homes. During 2009, with the help of CERT funding, B&Q UK sold enough materials to insulate over 577,000 homes and aims to insulate a further 1 million homes in 2010
A range of information and guidance is available to help customers make changes. For example, the B&Q UK website (www.diy.com/eco) includes several eco buying guides covering energy efficiency, insulation, water efficiency and energy-saving lighting. An eco-action calculator is available on the website as well as specific calculators to work out savings from energy-saving lighting and water-efficient products. A DVD produced during 2009 called ‘Save Money and Do It Yourself’ included eco tips. Another DVD on ‘How to insulate your home’ is designed to provide a step-by-step guide on different insulation options.
In April 2009, the company ran ‘Grow Your Own’ demonstrations in UK stores to encourage customers to grow their own fruit and vegetables. In early 2010, B&Q UK launched a new campaign to promote gardening and its Grow Your Own products, in partnership with the gardening celebrity Alan Titchmarsh. Throughout the growing season, regular expert tips and advice from Alan will appear in a range of in-store leaflets, materials and online at www.diy.com/eco.
B&Q UK is one of a number of companies backing the ‘We’re in this Together’ campaign, which aims to encourage every household in the UK to cut their CO2 emissions by 1 tonne over the next three years.
Market research on eco products
B&Q commissioned three major pieces of qualitative market research in 2009 to explore customers’ changing attitudes to the environment and their homes. The research included in-store interviews, in-home interviews and focus groups in New Malden and Nottingham. Customers are becoming more aware of environmental issues and the research has shaped B&Q’s approach to communicating and developing its One Planet Home® initiative.
- Eco shops
– B&Q UK is introducing eco shops within stores - 1,700
– Qualified eco advisers to be in stores by September 2010 - Insulation
– Enough materials sold to insulate 577,000 homes during 2009
Our people
Raising awareness of One Planet Living®
B&Q UK has developed a comprehensive internal communications programme to engage employees on its One Planet Living® initiative. For example:
- Every store has an Environmental Champion to help promote awareness of sustainability among their colleagues. The Champions have a dedicated section on the intranet where a regular newsletter is posted
- A new One Planet Living® e-learning module was launched in early 2009 and is completed by new employees as well as Environmental Champions. A total of nearly 5,800 employees had completed the module by the end of 2009. The module was shortlisted in the 2009 E-Learning Awards, an industry award for e-learning run by Bizmedia, publishers of the E-learning age Magazine
- Regular articles on One Planet Living® are included in internal communications. Since February 2010, B&Q UK has included ‘Eco tips’ in the bi-monthly magazine for employees, ‘Talking Shop’, and in regular bulletins. Tips cover a range of One Planet Living® Principles and, where relevant, are linked to National Environmental Awareness Days
Qualified eco advisers
B&Q UK is introducing City & Guilds qualified ‘eco advisers’ and ‘eco experts’ in stores to help guide customers on how to minimise the environmental impact of their homes and save money.
The eco advisers have a Level 2 Diploma in Retail Skills (selling eco products). They provide advice for customers on eco products to help them reduce the environmental impact of their homes. The new eco shops within stores at New Malden and Sutton (launched in March 2010) were the first to have eco advisers (see B&Q UK – Engaging our customers). B&Q plans to have 1,700 qualified eco advisers in place by September 2010.
The company also plans to introduce eco experts who will have a domestic energy assessment qualification. This will enable them to offer in-store and at-home consultations and provide homeowners with an Energy Performance Certificate, enabling them to understand how energy efficient their home is and how to improve it. Initially the eco experts will be introduced at New Malden and Sutton.
Other training and development
During 2009, B&Q UK invested £1 million in improving the skills of its store teams through three City & Guilds nationally recognised qualifications:
- The NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) Retail Skills Level 2
- The Home Improvement Knowledge qualification
- The Retail Apprenticeship Programme
Since March 2009, over 17,000 employees have gained one of these three qualifications. B&Q UK is now the largest user of City & Guilds qualifications in the retail sector and is rolling out new aprons with badges to its store teams so that customers will know that they are being served by an expert with a City & Guilds qualification.
The Apprenticeship is a 12-month programme of learning that employees complete while doing their job, giving them the skills, knowledge and confidence to progress their career in their chosen field. Most company apprenticeships are only open to under 25s, whereas there are no age limitations for B&Q’s programme, making it one of the most diverse in the industry.
In September 2009, B&Q UK launched its Showroom Academy, a new training school designed to improve product, service and design skills of its showroom employees. Training takes place in-store and in 13 regional skills centres across the country. The Academy represents an investment of around £2 million.
In July 2009, B&Q UK set up a new £12 million bonus scheme which will see around 30,000 shop floor employees eligible for a monthly bonus based on achieving individual store team targets and standards. It is an innovative scheme, because most (95%) of retail employee bonus schemes are annual rather than monthly.
Employee engagement surveys
Regular surveys are conducted including the Pulse survey and the annual Gallup Q12 survey. In 2009, 86% of employees participated in employee engagement surveys.
The Q12 survey enables the company to benchmark levels of engagement with other businesses. B&Q UK has, for the fourth year running, been awarded the Gallup Great Workplace award in recognition of continued improvements in employee engagement. The company remains the only UK business to have received this award.
Within the Gallup survey, B&Q UK tracks employee attitudes towards its environmental commitment, achieving a rating of 4.49 out of 5 in the latest survey in November 2009 (above the Grand Mean rating of 4.26).
- Environ- ment Champion
– Every store has an Environment Champion - 5,800
– Number of employees that completed the One Planet Living® e-learning by the end of 2009 - £1 m
– Invested in improving skills of store teams through City & Guilds qualifications - Monthly bonus
– Introduced for store teams
To help raise awareness of diversity issues, each store has a Diversity Champion. Workshops for the champions (Diversity Champion Days) are held to share best practice and ideas. Training on diversity is included in induction courses for all store employees and in personal development programmes. There is a diversity section on the intranet site which includes a range of resources and guides to diversity issues. The recruitment process has been designed to ensure that people are hired based on their talent.
During the past few years, B&Q UK has led the way in the recruitment and retention of people over 50 years of age, through initiatives such as a flexible retirement policy. In 2009/10, 28% of the workforce (full-time equivalents) were over 50.
In conjunction with the government’s WORKSTEP scheme, B&Q UK provides placements for disabled people who are looking to enter mainstream employment. In 2009/10, 3% of B&Q UK employees (full-time equivalents) declared some form of disability.
The nature of B&Q UK’s business has traditionally attracted more male managers – in 2009/10, 27% of managers (full-time equivalents) were female. Flexible working arrangements are designed to give employees an opportunity to achieve a better balance between work and other commitments. Job sharing is facilitated via the Job Share Register which is available online. B&Q UK has been listed in the Times / Aurora list of Top 50 Places Where Women Want to Work for four consecutive years. In 2009, B&Q UK was included in the Working Families list of Top 20 Employers, and was also shortlisted for an Employers Forum on Age award for flexible working.
B&Q UK seeks to ensure that its employees reflect the diversity of the communities it serves. A booklet entitled ‘Embracing Cultural Diversity’, a ‘Cultural Diversity’ fact sheet and a calendar of significant religious dates and festivals have been produced in partnership with the Inter Faith Network and the Multi-faith Centre. B&Q UK recognises that multilingual employees can also better serve customers who do not speak English as a first language and encourages employees to wear badges to indicate the additional languages they speak. In 2009/10, 10% of employees declared they were from an ethnic minority group.
The company partners with a range of diversity organisations including the Employers Forum on Age (EFA), Employers Forum on Belief, Employers Forum on Disability (EFD), Race for Opportunity (Ethnic Origin Equality), Opportunity Now (Gender Equality), The Gender Trust and Stonewall (Sexual Orientation Equality).
- Diversity Champion
– Every store has a Diversity Champion - 28%
– Proportion of employees over the age of 50
Our community
One Planet Living Grant® scheme
The B&Q One Planet Living Grants® offer between £50 and £250 of B&Q materials to schools, community groups and charitable organisations. Projects must support at least one of the following themes: save energy, conserve nature, support local culture & heritage, grow your own.
Since 1997 the grant programme has supported more than 10,000 community projects. To celebrate B&Q UK’s 40th birthday, 40 One Planet Living® Awards were given during 2009 (with one programme receiving £10,000 worth of products, four winning programmes granted £5,000 and 35 programmes awarded £2,000).
In 2009/10, £147,600 worth of products (valued at retail price) were donated through the grants and awards programmes.
Stores are also able to offer materials and unsaleable goods (e.g. offcuts of timber and slightly damaged tins of paint) to local projects through the Waste Donation scheme.
Employee volunteering and fundraising
The company organises various community volunteering days for employees at its central office, known as the Store Support Office. Our evaluation survey (conducted annually) identifies important benefits to the local community and our business e.g. it helps promote team building and raise staff morale.
B&Q UK has a Match It scheme to support employee fundraising – matching funds raised by employees up to a set limit. In 2009/10, the company donated £13,700 via the Match It scheme. In 2002 B&Q launched a payroll-giving programme, an easy and tax-free way for employees to support their favourite charities direct from their pay. To date employees have donated more than £1 million.
Charity partnerships
B&Q UK has a corporate charity and sponsorship policy which is reviewed each year. The company selects a number of charity partners for corporate fundraising and charity collections in stores.
The nominated charities are:
- UK: Age Concern and Help the Aged; NSPCC incorporating Children 1st in Scotland
- Ireland: ISPCC; Multiple Sclerosis Ireland
- BBC Children in Need
- Help for Heroes
B&Q UK has also sold products in aid of charity partners, e.g. in 2009 the company sold paddling pools in aid of the NSPCC, Children 1st and ISPCC, raising more than £32,000.
During 2009, B&Q UK became a corporate partner to the BBC Children in Need event, raising more than £70,000 in the first year. In November 2009, B&Q UK sold three products (Pudsey fleece blanket, cushion and storage box) in aid of the charity, raising over £23,000.
In 2009, B&Q UK raised more than £56,000 for Help for Heroes through the B&Q Sanctuary Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the sale of a limited edition 'Help for Heroes' petunia mix.
Job Done! schools programme
B&Q UK recognises that the younger generation are not learning DIY skills in the ways previous generations used to, and is seeking to address this skills gap with the introduction of a programme for schools called Job Done!
Job Done! is aimed at 11–14 year olds and has been designed in conjunction with school teachers, students and parents. It is split into five parts: Health & Safety, Decorate It, Build It, Fix It and Grow It. The programme is delivered through a teaching pack for schools and a teacher website, www.diyjobdone.com. Schools also receive tool boxes and the opportunity to attend in-store demos. A regional trial took place in 100 schools in the north-east from September to December 2009. The programme will be launched nationally in spring 2010 and the target is to have 500 schools participating in the first year.
See news – B&Q UK builds skills for the future with launch of ‘Job Done!’ schools trial.
- 10,000 projects
– Grants offered to more than 10,000 community projects since 1997 - £147,600
– Value of products (at retail price) donated through grants and awards programmes during 2009/10 - Job Done!
– New skills programme launched for schools
Our suppliers & partners
As part of its One Planet Living® programme, B&Q UK is addressing ethical and environmental issues in its supply chain by developing a new more engaging, collaborative approach that proactively helps suppliers and their factories to improve. As a first step, it has committed to working in partnership with key direct/domestic suppliers to set new standards on supplier engagement by 2012. It is developing these standards through two specific projects with suppliers – one sector specific project which aims to identify ways to improve factory working conditions in a challenging sector, and one cross sector project which aims to identify best practice on key supplier ethical and environmental issues.
B&Q UK currently sets standards for suppliers through its supplier assessment programme known as QUEST (Quality, Ethics, Environment and Safety). QUEST Principles 1–5 relate to financial and quality issues and Principles 6–10 cover social and environmental impacts. The Principles include ‘Environmental Policy and Awareness’ (QUEST 6), ‘Environmental Track Record and Targets’ (QUEST 7), ‘Supply Chain Transparency’ (QUEST 8), ‘Packaging and Labelling’ (QUEST 9) and ‘Product Integrity’ (QUEST 10).
All new suppliers are assessed for compliance with the Principles, using the QUEST evaluation process (part of the Vendor Manual). Suppliers are asked to complete a pre-assessment questionnaire which is followed with a face-to-face assessment conducted by the B&Q Quality Assurance team. A grade is awarded (from A to E) for each of the ten Principles. Suppliers must meet certain minimum requirements within agreed timescales and develop action plans for improving their score. Reassessments are carried out to monitor the progress of existing suppliers – the frequency of reassessment depends on the grade achieved and risk to the business.
The QUEST Principle 8 on Supply Chain Transparency requires importers and suppliers to demonstrate how they have assured that the factories that supply them comply with criteria on factory working conditions (set out in B&Q UK’s Operational Standards for Supply Chains).
In addition a supplier assessment procedure has been introduced for Goods Not for Resale (GNFR), with the aim of assessing all vendors by July 2010.
B&Q UK is a member of Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange), a web-based database which enables companies to store and share data on ethical audits. Suppliers are asked to demonstrate compliance with the company’s Operational Standards for Supply Chains and to share the results via Sedex. B&Q UK is working to roll out the use of Sedex across its supply chain over a period of three years (2008–2011) – focusing on high-risk sectors and own-brand products first. Over 140 suppliers are now linked to B&Q UK on Sedex.
In 2009/10, 142 vendor/factory assessments were carried out against the environmental and/or ethical requirements of the B&Q UK vendor appraisal methodology (QUEST). These include 73 desktop assessments, 35 on-site assessments and 34 factory audits listed by B&Q UK suppliers on Sedex. In addition, 99 employees (e.g. buyers and quality managers) and 70 individuals within the supply chain attended training workshops on ethical or environmental issues in the supply chain.
A key focus over the past year has been to audit suppliers of One Planet Home® products.
B&Q UK participates in the Quarry Working Group project run by Business Trading Ethically. This was originally set up to help drive improvements in the Indian quarrying industry but the scope has now been extended to cover any stone quarry site in the world. The objective of the group is to develop a set of labour and environmental standards specifically for quarries to be used as part of supplier assessments.
A research project has been launched with the British Council in China to start to address the carbon footprint in our supply chain. The project is a collaboration between B&Q UK, B&Q China and Kingfisher and involves students from seven universities across the UK and China.
- New standards
– Projects underway to develop new standards on supplier ethical engagement by 2012 - Ethical assess- ments
– 142 vendor/factory assessments carried out in 2009/10
Our economic growth
In the UK, the government has set out ambitious targets to cut carbon emissions – aiming for a 30% reduction by 2020 (from 1990 levels) and an 80% reduction by 2050. To help achieve this long-term goal, it is introducing a range of incentives and legislation to reduce carbon emissions in the home e.g. the trial of an energy efficiency financing scheme (Home Energy Pay As You Save) and the introduction of feed-in tariffs for renewable energy generated by households.
Through its One Planet Living® strategy, B&Q UK is working to maximise the business opportunities from the growing market for home energy efficiency improvements. In 2009/10, B&Q UK stocked over 4,200 One Planet Home® products, which accounted for 9.9% of total sales. The company is also introducing eco shops within stores and is rolling out 1,700 qualified eco advisers by September 2010.
The B&Q flagship stores in Sutton and New Malden are piloting the full eco shop concept. At these stores, the company is also trialling home eco audits and new eco services such as boiler and solar thermal water heating installations. This move into eco services offers exciting new business opportunities.
The store in Sutton has been selected as a partner by the UK government in a trial of the new Home Energy Pay As You Save financing scheme for energy efficiency improvements. This gives local Sutton households the opportunity to invest in low-carbon technologies in their homes with no upfront cost. B&Q UK believes that such financing schemes will play an important part in driving the market for home energy makeovers and would like to see the extension of such incentives. See B&Q UK – Engaging our customers for further details.
B&Q UK is working to cut costs through an ambitious carbon reduction programme (see B&Q UK – Climate change).
– Eco products accounted for 9.9% of total sales in 2009/10
– Home eco audits and eco installation services launched at stores in Sutton and New Malden
– Partner in a flagship government trial for home energy retrofits in Sutton
- Page last updated 30 January 2010.
- Note – Our operating companies complete the Steps questionnaire every six months (at the end of January and the end of July). The operating company performance section is updated twice a year in line with the Steps update.
