British multinational DIY and home improvement retailing company, B&Q has expanded into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the first two stores now open in Riyadh.
The launch is a result of a collaboration between Dubai-based conglomerate, Al-Futtaim Group and international home improvement group and B&Q’s parent company, Kingfisher which was formalized through an agreement last year.
The two new stores, each with a built-up area of over 5,000 sq.m, are located in King Abdullah Road and Al-Farooq District of Riyadh. By introducing B&Q into the Kingdom, Al-Futtaim Group aims to offer both retail and trade customers everything they need for home improvement at great prices with the best customer experience.
The new B&Q stores offer a wide range of top-quality products across outdoor living, kitchen and dinnerware, decorative products, tools and hardware, garden furniture and equipment, storage, lighting, bathroom, and paint mixing, among other essential items for home improvement.
Over 60 percent of the products at the B&Q stores in the Kingdom are exclusive and international, featuring brands from Kingfisher’s portfolio of owned exclusive brands, such as Erbauer, Magnusson, and GoodHome, alongside other well-known international brands like JJA, Karcher, Bosch and more; all designed to make home improvement easier for customers.
Currently, both stores offer services such as free returns within 30 days, home delivery and paint mixing with free timber cutting, click and collect, design studio and kitchen fit-out planned in the next quarter.
Regis Schultz President Al-Futtaim Retail Group
“The business partnership between Al-Futtaim and Kingfisher is a great opportunity to expand our retail operation in the attractive home improvement market of the Kingdom. Al-Futtaim Group’s strategic roadmap has enabled us to adopt the business best practices and seize opportunities to bring the best global brands under one roof to the region.”
The Al-Futtaim Retail Group President further added that, “the plan to open B&Q stores in the Saudi capital is important keeping in view the growth of Riyadh, which aims to more than double its population and become one of the 10 richest cities in the world under the ambitious plans unveiled by the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman recently.”
Today, with a population of about eight million, Riyadh city is one of the fastest-growing capitals of the world, Mr. Schultz observed.
Referring to the expansion plan of Al-Futtaim Group with special reference to the opening of the two stores in Riyadh, Colin McMahon, General Manager of B&Q Middle East for the Al-Futtaim Group remarked that, “Our customers will be able to access a range of leading home improvement products and access expert advice alongside their regular shop, as this new partnership with Kingfisher brings a broader range of international products and services, exclusive in KSA, to our stores,”.
“The first B&Q stores in Saudi Arabia will be supported by an e-commerce proposition very soon”, Mr. McMahon added.
