Kingfisher plc, owner of brands such as Screwfix, Tradepoint, and B&Q, has announced that it has acquired NeedHelp, one of Europe’s largest home improvement services marketplaces, for a total cash consideration of c.€10 million.

NeedHelp (www.needhelp.com) is an online platform that connects customers who need home improvement help, either in-store or online, with vetted professional tradespeople and other skilled experts.

The company says that the acquisition represents an important step forward for one of Kingfisher’s key priorities under its recently announced ‘Powered by Kingfisher’ strategy: to build a mobile-first and service-orientated customer experience.

NeedHelp was founded in France in 2014 by Guillaume de Kergariou, who will continue as Chief Executive to lead the team and grow the business. While most of its business is currently in France, NeedHelp also operates in Switzerland and has recently expanded into Germany, Belgium, Austria. and the Netherlands.

Along with developing NeedHelp’s business in Europe with existing and new retail partners, Kingfisher also plans to roll out the platform in the UK and Poland. In the UK, NeedHelp will be able to support B&Q’s customers who need assistance with their home improvement projects, as well as cooperate with Screwfix’s customer base of trade professionals.

NeedHelp will continue to operate as an independent company and will seek to offer its installation capabilities to retail customers across the home improvement sector, through its open architecture model.

Commenting on the acquisition, Thierry Garnier, Kingfisher’s Chief Executive, 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.”

Guillaume de Kergariou, NeedHelp’s founder and Chief Executive, added: “We are delighted to be cementing our relationship with Kingfisher through this transaction. The additional investment and expertise that Kingfisher will bring, as well as the ability to help support its huge customer base, opens an exciting new chapter for us. We will continue investing in our technology, product and operational processes to drive even greater customer satisfaction. We are proud to support the growth of the home improvement market in Europe, through our open architecture model.”