The owner of B&Q and Screwfix revealed strong UK trading thanks to Britain's buoyant house building sector, but saw group results weighed down by tough conditions in France.
Kingfisher said like-for-like sales growth picked-up pace for its DIY chain B&Q in the UK and Ireland, rising by 2.4 per cent in the quarter to October 31 thanks to strong sales of outdoor seasonal goods and building products.
Its trade-focused Screwfix arm was once again the star performer, with same store sales up 13.3 per cent as it continued to benefit from growth in house building and as more homeowners shy away from DIY and turn to tradesmen to do work for them.
This pushed UK and Ireland retail profits 14.2 per cent higher to £80 million in the third quarter.
But trading continued to suffer in France, where it trades as Castorama and Brico Depot, with sales edging just 0.1 per cent higher in the three months as it battles against ongoing weak consumer confidence and a declining housing and construction market.
The weakness of the euro against the pound compounded the woes in France, with retail profits diving by 15.7 per cent to £109m.
Overall, a £17m currency hit left group-wide retail profits down 6.6 per cent to £223m.
Even with the currency impact stripped out, Kingfisher said retail profits lifted marginally, by 0.4 per cent.
Chief executive Veronique Laury, who took over from Sir Ian Cheshire last December, insisted the group was making good progress with her overhaul.
She said: "We have secured a further five agreements on the B&Q stores already planned for closure, taking the total to 31."
"I am encouraged by development work on the first wave of the unified 'core essential' ranges, which will land in stores from next year," she added.
In March, she announced the closure of as many as 60 B&Q stores over the next two years, affecting around 3,000 jobs in the UK and Ireland.
Other plans include cutting back on some of the 393,000 products sold across the company, particularly as only 7,000 items - amounting to seven per cent of sales - are sold in at least two of Kingfisher's operating companies.
The group is also looking to make the most of its store space and is in discussions with several retailers about sub-letting opportunities.
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