B&Q owner's sales surge on back of lockdown DIY boom

The City had expected profits at Screwfix parent Kingfisher to fall after it initially shut storesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe coronavirus lockdown has inspired a surge in home DIY projects, lifting sales by a quarter at B&Q and Screwfix last month.Kingfisher, which owns the two UK DIY chains, said it expected half-year profits to be ahead of the same period a year ago as sales at its stores around the world surged by 14% in May, 25% in June and by mo