It's early days, but it looks as though B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher is taking a leaf out of Scandi furniture favourite Ikea's book with its new approach to home improvement. Kingfisher's B&Q business is currently known in the UK for its large, out of town sheds, packed with everything from saws and screws to kitchens and lawnmowers. But, as it grapples to carry favour with more home owners and potential DIYers, it is changing its ways. Changes ahead: Kingfisher is making changes to its DIY chains, including B&Q in the UK At an event earlier this week, outgoing group boss Veronique Laury unveiled the firm's new, international brand - 'GoodHome' - which will act as a wrapper for all the changes shoppers are about to see in store. It has been a long time in the making. Over the past three years the group has streamlined its buying teams, developed new 'unified' products and invested in digital. But with GoodHome, Kingfisher said, its work will become visible to customers for the first time. Although a search is underway for Laury's replacement amid reported investor and board impatience, it appears to still be full steam ahead with her vision for the firm and some quite radical changes in stores. DIY: The GoodHome brand is aimed at simplifying complex home improvement projects so more people feel encouraged to take them on The CEO of five years says that GoodHome aims to remove the barriers that deter people from doing DIY, as too many DIY projects are abandoned, either before they get off the ground or mid-way through. 'No one has yet offered an end-to-end solution to this. No one has solved the nightmare,' Laury said. She said GoodHome, with its moto 'always simplifying', will make DIY projects more affordable, more sustainable, and simpler - with bespoke products designed in-house, more trained experts in store and digital tools to help with project planning. New beginnings: DIY group Kingfisher launched its new GoodHome brand (logo above) at an event in London this week But as Laury did the big reveal, it struck me that this B&Q of the future was sounding less like a traditional home improvement store – a Homebase or a Wickes – and more like an Ikea (without the meatballs). Does Ikea need to watch its back? Ikea's founder Ingvar Kamprad grew up in an impoverished part of Sweden and was determined to sell items for the home that were durable, practical and affordable for all. Echoing that, B&Q now also wants to make home improvement 'affordable to everyone'. 'GoodHome is the name we put on everything we are doing to make home improvement accessible to the many, not the few,' Laury said - sounding simultaneously like Kamprad and the leader of the Labour party. B&Q's fresh approach also involves making radical changes to its stores, including the launch of a new smaller store format. Its so-called 'Express' stores will cater for frequent DIY projects. Shoppers will be able to click-and-collect, pick up essential items and get specialist advice in convenient locations. To help counter falling sales, B&Q will introduce GoodHome products, designed in-house and sold across the group to give the company greater scale Similar to the Screwfix model, the GoodHome Express stores will include collection counters so shoppers can be in and out in a flash The first Express store has opened in Wallington, near Croydon, and more are set to follow in the UK and France later this year. Ikea too has made an uncharacteristic foray into small stores in the last few years as it strives to stay relevant and adapt to changing shopping habits. It has experimented with click-and-collect points and, more recently, city centre 'Planning Studios', where shoppers can book a time slot for specialist advice on kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. B&Q is even bringing a taste of the Scandinavian to its new approach. Its parent company has collaborated with Meik Wiking, author of The Little Book of Hygge; The Danish Way to Live Well on a GoodHome report, which – published in June – will examine what can be done to 'make homes that little bit happier'. Shrinking stores: Ikea is opening small 'planning studios' in city centre locations to attract busy shoppers This will help shape the DIY group's new streamlined ranges, which includes a rim-free toilet that's easier to clean. Ikea is a few steps ahead of Kingfisher, of course. It was one of the first companies to launch digital tools like AI for room planning, and it even bought Task Rabbit last year to add to its services offering – meaning that time-poor shoppers can have their flat-pack furniture delivered and built for them. But if B&Q can use its GoodHome banner to unlock the untapped value in the DIY market in the same way Ikea has done with furniture, it could just be onto something. A lack of skills and confidence, intimidating stores or previous bad experiences have put many people – myself included – off having a go at DIY. It's clear that, like Ikea, Kingfisher has realised that its role is not just to flog products to shoppers anymore. If the home improvement stalwarts want to survive, they need to help with the project too. Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.
With the launch of GoodHome, the changes Kingfisher has been making to streamline its procurement process over the past three years will become visible to customers for the first time. The brand, which will act as a wrapper for all the changes being rolled out in stores over the coming months, aims to remove the barriers that deter people from doing DIY, simplifying projects and making them more affordable. “Customers are looking at our products with fresh eyes because we have made it easier than ever before to do DIY projects.