Kingfisher's plans for expansion

Kingfisher has scheduled a total of 55 new openings for the current financial year 2006/07, which will increase the group’s overall number of stores to 700. Nine B&Q outlets are planned for the UK, as well as three more Trade Depots. Two Castoramas are due to open in France, six existing stores are to be converted to the Brico Dépôt format, and seven new Brico Dépôts are to be added to the total. An overall target of 120 Brico Dépôt units, instead of the previous target of 100, is now being aimed for in France. Five more Castorama stores are to be set up in Poland, as well as a first store in the smaller Brico Dépôt format. There are plans for three new Castorama openings in Italy, and five stores are due to expand the network of branches in Spain. The company entered the market in Russia just this February, with a first Castorama in Samara, and three more are in the pipeline. Kingfisher's involvement in Turkey is being expanded within the framework of a joint venture through the opening of four Koçtaş stores. Expansion is continuing in Asia as well, with plans for ten new B&Qs in China this year, and one each in South Korea and Taiwan (joint venture).