Kingfisher's Overseas Businesses Offset UK Woes
2011年7月21日 - 8:01PM
Dow Jones News
International diversification helped DIY retailer Kingfisher PLC
(KGF.LN) post a small rise in second quarter sales Thursday despite
the severe challenges facing its business in the U.K., but
branching out is not always the panacea U.K. retailers hope, as
Kingfisher's difficulties in China attest.
The U.K. retail sector is being pummelled by rampant inflation,
government austerity-inspired tax hikes and job insecurity that has
caused a crisis of consumer confidence. As the U.K. shopper has
snapped its purse shut, companies that have a successful business
overseas have come into their own. At 1010 GMT, Kingfisher shares
were up 2.8% to 260 pence.
But expanding overseas is not without its risks, and local
knowledge is key to success as Kingfisher found out to its
detriment in China. While Kingfisher's French Castorama DIY chain
has consistently outperformed the U.K. market during the economic
downturn, and the company's businesses in Poland, Russia and Spain
helped push total sales growth up 1% despite a 5.5% drop in the
larger UK. market, its foray into China was less successful.
The company expanded its modest Chinese operations with the
acquisition in 2005 of the OBI DIY chain but swung to an operating
loss in fiscal 2008 prompting a major restructuring and closure of
a third of its oversized B&Q China stores.
The problems in China, where a prolonged property boom should
have been the perfect setting for sustained growth, chiefly stem
from Kingfisher misunderstanding the nature of the Chinese
homeowner who is far less inclined to do home improvements
themselves, and will generally hire a professional instead.
Despite a 5.4% fall in same-store sales in the region in the
second quarter, Kingfisher nonetheless expects to break even this
year, but lack of local knowledge has been a costly mistake.
Rahul Sharma, retail analyst at Neev Capital, believes working
with a franchise partner, the model used by Mothercare PLC (MTC.LN)
and Supergroup PLC (SGP.LN), offers better localised insight and a
relatively low-risk expansion opportunity.
Last week Mothercare reported dire U.K. trading but strong
growth overseas, particularly in India where it has become a
destination brand for middle-class mothers, and youth fashion chain
Supergroup announced plans to radically expand abroad.
Mothercare has two franchise partners in India - Shopper's Stop
and Delhi Land - and now has 894 stores in 54 countries, while
Supergroup bought out its largest European franchise partner CNC
Collections earlier this year. CNC Collections founder Luc Clement
will now head up Supergroup's European franchising push. The
company plans at least 50 new franchise stores around the world
this year.
By Kathy Gordon, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-207-842-9293;
kathy.gordon@dowjones.com
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