Kingfisher buys home improvement services marketplace NeedHelp

The DIY giant has shelled out around €10m (£8.9m) for an 80% stake in the business, which connects customers across a number of European markets to vetted professional tradespeople and experts.

NeedHelp was founded in France in 2014 by Guillaume de Kergariou, who will continue to lead the business as chief executive following the acquisition. 

Most of NeedHelp’s business is done in France, where it already provides services to customers of Kingfisher’s Castorama and Brico Dépôt fascias. It also operates in Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria.

The fast-growing business has tripled gross merchandise volumes and revenues every year since it launched. The number of jobs – such as kitchen installations, bathroom renovations, painting and flooring – completed through the NeedHelp platform is expected to hit 58,000 by the end of 2020, driven by a surge in demand for home improvement services during the coronavirus pandemic.  

Kingfisher said the acquisition marked an “important step forward” for the group in its ambition to build “a mobile-first and service-orientated customer experience”. 

The B&Q and Screwfix owner plans to roll out the NeedHelp platform in the UK and Poland, where it also operates stores. 

Kingfisher chief executive Thierry Garnier said: “To serve customers effectively today, we need to be more digital and service orientated, while leveraging our strong store assets. Online services marketplaces are key to the future of home improvement retail and NeedHelp is an established and fast-growing player in this arena.

“Its acquisition accelerates our digital capabilities and extends the services that we can provide our customers – two central components of our future growth strategy.  

“Looking ahead, we will develop NeedHelp quickly in the UK and Poland by leveraging our extensive store network and our differentiated banners that serve both home improvers and tradespeople. This represents an exciting opportunity to create a more complete services offer and to help make better homes accessible for everyone.”  

Kingfisher chief customer and digital officer JJ Van Oosten, who has been appointed NeedHelp chairman following the deal, added: “NeedHelp’s success has been built by delivering ease and assurance to customers who want to improve their homes, and the tradespeople with the skills to support them. 

“We know the business well, it is a natural fit with our retail banners, and it accelerates our service proposition.”