Garden Centre Television News

Ian Cheshire, Kingfisher’s Group Chief Executive, said:

“This is a solid performance in an uncertain environment for our customers right across Europe. Consumer spending remains under pressure, notably in the UK, and so we continued to focus on carefully targeting our promotions to drive profitable sales, improving our cash margins and vigorously controlling our costs. As a result our expectations for first half cash and profit outturn remain on track.

“While we remain cautious about the outlook for consumer spending, we are confident that the strengths of the Group and our well established self-help initiatives leave us well-placed to continue our good progress over the balance of the year.”

All figures and comments below refer to the 10 weeks to 10 July (1) in constant currencies

Trading reviews:

FRANCE

Castorama sales grew 4.1% (+3.1% LFL), supported by the introduction of new products, its store modernisation programme and favourable weather. Brico Dépôt sales were up 3.7% (+1.9% LFL) benefitting from an up-weighted programme of range refreshment and new and more frequent product catalogues emphasising their value credentials. Gross margins in France continued to benefit from fewer promotions year on year, increased direct sourcing and buying optimisation benefits.

UK & Ireland

B&Q total sales were down 3.5% (-4.3% LFL) although with a higher gross margin percentage achieved on those sales, B&Q’s gross profit* was ahead. Sales of seasonal categories were flat and showroom (kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms) and building categories were down, reflecting fewer promotions and weak consumer appetite for bigger ticket purchases. Sales were also impacted, as anticipated, by the roll out of ‘TradePoint’ into B&Q’s large format stores (now in 89 stores). The gross margin percentage was up strongly compared to Q1 2010/11 and the prior year, continuing to benefit from more targeted promotions, shrinkage reduction and more direct sourcing. Screwfix sales declined by 3.6%.

*Sales multiplied by gross margin percentage

OTHER INTERNATIONAL

Sales in Other International markets grew 1.6% (+0.8% LFL). Sales in Poland were down 1.1% (-4.2% LFL) in a weaker market. However, seasonal categories were up around 8% across the period benefitting from favourable weather later in the period and a good response to the new garden catalogue. B&Q China sales declined 17.1% reflecting the lower number of stores but sales in the remaining stores were up 8.2% on an LFL basis. Losses are expected to have reduced significantly as planned in Q2, reflecting the turnaround initiatives and higher housing activity in most regions.

Forward-looking statements

The financial information contained in this announcement has not been audited. Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any expected future results in forward-looking statements.

Delivering Value:

The key components of the seven step programme to delivering a step-change in shareholder value are as follows:

1. Driving up B&Q UK & Ireland’s profit

2. Exploiting our UK Trade opportunity

3. Expanding our total French business

4. Rolling out in Eastern Europe

5. Turning around B&Q China

6. Growing Group sourcing

7. Reducing working capital

Full details on progress will be given with the interim results announcement for the six months to 31 July 2010 on 16 September 2010.

PlantforLife, in association with The British Beekeepers Association, have produced a downloadable guide to planting to attract bees in your garden.

Bees are in decline in the UK and are struggling for survival. Honey bees have suffered heavy over-winter colony losses due to disease and of the UK’s 27 species of bumble bee, three are now extinct.

As British gardens are the largest nature reserve in the UK, PlantforLife, has produced the bee friendly guide. Accredited by The British Beekeepers’ Association, the factsheet provides a list of plants – together with tips on how and when to plant and care for them – that will encourage bees back into the garden. The plants featured in the guide include: buddleja, cornflowers, corn poppies, flowering currants, foxgloves, heathers, honeysuckle, lamb’s ear, lavender, sea holly, sedum and sunflowers.

Available to download at www.plantforlife.info/bees garden retailers are encouraged to print them out and display next to bee-friendly plants such as lavender, corn poppies and sedum.

Tim Lovett, Director of Public Affairs at the British Beekeepers Association said: “The British Beekeepers Association was delighted to be able to assist the HTA in the preparation of their PlantforLife Bee Friendly campaign materials. The HTA is keen to encourage gardeners to help bees which are struggling against a number of problems and the advice the HTA has made available will make its own important contribution in the fight to help our bees.”

5 reasons why we should encourage bees into our gardens:

Bees add charm and character to our gardens, bringing them to life

Creating a garden for wildlife can be a project the whole family can become involved in from toddlers to Mums and Dads!

Encouraging bees also attracts hoverflies and other beneficial insects into the garden, helping to control pests and protect garden plants

A third of all the food we eat is on our table thanks to bees pollinating our crops; so looking after bees is actually the same as looking after ourselves

Bees can help make your garden more productive, especially if you grow vegetables or have fruit trees that need to be pollinated.

For further information please visit:

www.plantforlife.info/bees

www.britishbee.org.uk

www.adoptabeehive.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @bee_friendly

Cities, towns, villages, and coastal communities across the UK are making final preparations to their entries before national judges arrive for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom judging day – one of the largest horticultural campaigns in Europe.

Over 1,000 communities entered the competition last year from which only 66 have been chosen as 2010 finalists hoping to win a gold medal and be awarded the title of category winner.

The RHS judges start their two week tour at the beginning of August and will be looking for the very best examples of horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation.

This year’s Britain in Bloom finalists will try to impress the judges with a diverse range of community projects, ranging from community orchards, neighbourhood gardens and woodland classrooms, to sensory gardens as well as fantastic examples of sustainable environmental planting.

Roger Burnett, Chair of the RHS Britain in Bloom UK Judging panel, said, “Once again, we have some fantastic entries. Some of our communities have faced enormous challenges this year and we’re pleased to see how they’ve pulled together as a community to carry on. “

Cayton in Yorkshire will be amongst the areas visited by judges on their tour. Their entry was sabotaged by weed killer resulting in an estimated £20,000 worth of damage, but donations and offers of help from the community has meant Cayton have been able to remain in the campaign.

Bloom Chair Roger Burnett added, “We know that they and the other finalists will show us the best that Britain has to offer.”

An award ceremony for the RHS Britain in Bloom 2010 campaign takes place in Birmingham on September 29.

Winners of the name a species competition announced. The British public choose common names for species with an identity crisis.

Emerging from obscurity, ten previously unnamed British species are now enjoying some long-awaited limelight as the results of the competition to give them popular names were announced today (Saturday 17 July).

The Queen’s executioner, sea piglet and witches’ whiskers were previously only known as Megapenthes lugens, Arrhis phylonyx and Usnea florida, respectively. They now join the ranks of the more familiar shepherd’s purse, swallowtail and foxglove, now having popular names that describe their characteristics.

Thousands of people submitted entries in response to the Name a Species competition organised by Natural England, The Guardian and The Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The competition invited the public to give popular names to ten species of British beetle, bees, jellyfish, shrimps and lichens, all of which are endangered and all of which have until now been listed only in Latin.

The competition follows the earlier publication by Natural England of Lost life – a report that showed that 430 species have become extinct in England in the last 200 years – and the subsequent call by George Monbiot, author and Guardian comment writer, for a competition to enable the public to become more familiar with the species that we are in danger of losing.

Dr Tom Tew, Chief Scientist for Natural England, said: “This competition set out to inspire the nation, drawing attention to a handful of declining species that have, until now, been without a common name. As a result, the public have let their imagination loose to come up with some wonderful naming suggestions to help put these forgotten species on the map.”

The ten winning names announced today are:

? Skeetle (Stenus longitarsis): A beetle that escapes predators using natural “jet skis”

? Sea piglet (Arrhis phylonyx): A deep-sea “pseudo shrimp”

? Queen’s executioner (Megapenthes lugens): A distinctive “clicking” beetle found only in Windsor Great Park, it feeds on the larvae of other insects

? Blue pepper-pot beetle (Cryptocephalus punctiger): A rare leaf beetle whose larvae live in willow leaves

? Scabious cuckoo bee (Nomada armata): A “cuckoo bee” that lays its eggs in the nests of other bees

? Kaleidoscope jellyfish (Haliclystus auricula): A beautiful stalked jellyfish

? St John’s jellyfish (Lucernariopsis cruxmelitensis): A tiny 1cm jellyfish, in the shape of a Maltese cross

? Witches’ whiskers lichen (Usnea florida): A lichen with medicinal properties

? Pixie gowns lichen (Peltigera venosa): A lichen that turns green when wet

? Mab’s lantern (Philorhizus quadrisignatus): A very rare four spotted ground beetle

Today’s ten new species names were selected from over 3,000 entries by a panel of four judges: Tony Mitchell-Jones of Natural England, Dr George McGavin of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Matt Shardow of Buglife and George Monbiot author and Guardian columnist.

Dr Tew continued: “The continued decline of biodiversity in England is a seriously worrying issue as every species matters  from the newly named sea piglet to the more familiar hedgehog. Biodiversity is the foundation of our own existence and we cannot afford to take it for granted, which is why we are getting the issue out from under the microscope and into the limelight.”

Dr George McGavin, of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, said: “People really entered into the spirit of the competition and we had some great names to choose from.”

George Monbiot, writer and journalist from The Guardian, said “Judging this competition was both a lot of fun and very tough, as the standard was so high. Our winners have not only given us names that are practical and distinctive, they have also captured the beauty, magic and mystery of England’s wildlife. By striking a light in the public imagination, I believe these names will make a major contribution towards conserving these species.”

The newly named species – alongside their winning names – will be on display at an exhibition at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

New research, from PlantforLife the HTA’s consumer facing campaign, reveals 63% of people in the UK purchase floral and herbal scented products to enhance their health and wellbeing yet, when asked, just 32% realised the plants they grow in the garden can provide the same effects^[i].  

To address this lack of awareness and promote the benefits floral and herbal scents provide, PlantforLifehas joined forces with aromacologist, Danièle Ryman, and celebrity plantsman Chris Collins, to show people how to give their garden a simple and healthy, scented makeover. Nature’s remedy – A scentsational guide to growing a healthy garden – an easy to use guide which shows how simple it is planting and using floral and herbal scents in your garden can be downloaded from the PlantforLife website – www.plantforlife.info/scent

Garden retailers are encouraged to use the guide to create ‘Scentsational’ displays by combining lifestyle products such as soaps, room sprays and candles with the plants themselves helping to demonstrate the wider benefits that some plants have.

Floral and herbal scents have long been recognised for their health and wellbeing benefits, and the research shows the top 5 scented products, purchased at least once a month in the UK, are:

–        Lavender (32%), helps reduce stress and improves sleep quality

–        Mint (31%), aids digestion

–        Basil (25%), eases symptoms of stress and can help lift your mood

–        Rose (22%), has soothing qualities and can ease nerves

–        Rosemary (22%), provides stimulation and is also good for your hair

Interestingly, 59% of people surveyed revealed they have considered growing their favourite scent, despite this a quarter of these potential growers (25%) admitted they wouldn’t know how to use them to benefit their health.  Whilst there’s a lack of awareness about planting, over a third (38%) agreed they would like to know how they can start planting and using their favourite scents.

Aromacologist, Danièle Ryman says, “Plants and flowers have many different purposes, and once you understand how useful they can be for wellbeing, relaxation and stimulation – you can begin to plant not just for aesthetics, but for your health too. Not many people know that simply breathing the aroma of hyacinth can lift your mood, or that gardenia is an effective remedy for anxiety.”
Despite all of these scentsational benefits, it’s colour and appearance that’s currently setting the trend inUK gardens, with 69% of people admitting they choose their plants based on how they look, compared to 6% who consider a plant’s scent.

Chris Collins comments, “Although colour is an important part of any outdoor space, introducing different scents into your garden is essential to creating your perfect outdoor haven.  Having beautifully scented plants outside not only means you can reap the health benefits but planting a scented garden is a great way to help the environment and attract wildlife, like bees, back into your garden.”