A surge in demand for outdoor furniture and barbecues as Europe basked in warm spring weather helped home improvements group Kingfisher post a 19 per cent rise in first-quarter profit today.
However the group, which runs market leader B&Q as well as Castorama and Brico Depot in France and elsewhere, kept its cautious outlook for the rest of the year, saying the good weather might just have brought forward purchases.
Although an economic recovery is gathering pace in Europe, many retailers are struggling as shoppers worry about rising prices and austerity measures, particularly in Britain.
"Whilst we have got off to a good start, it remains our view that this year is likely to be a tough one for all retailers, especially in the UK," Kingfisher said.
Europe's biggest home improvements group said it made a retail profit of £174 million in the 13 weeks to April 30th.
Sales at stores open more than a year climbed 3.3 per cent, including increases of 1.5 per cent in UK and Ireland and 5.4 per cent in France.
Profits were also boosted by Kingfisher's drive to buy more goods centrally and directly from cheaper manufacturing centres like Asia.
Kingfisher, with 860 stores in eight countries in Europe and Asia, said sales of seasonal lines like outdoor furniture and barbecues jumped 15 per cent at B&Q and 14 per cent at Castorama.
But sales for indoor projects like kitchens and bathrooms were down 10 percent in Britain as shoppers there preferred to focus on their gardens.
Kingfisher shares have beaten the STOXX Europe 600 retail index by 6 per cent this year. They closed at 282.1 pence on Wednesday, valuing the business at about £6.8 billion.