our stores

Business to Business & Sales

The objective of the team is to provide our customers with solutions to enable them to accomplish their home improvement ambitions, in particular by removing the cost barrier to home improvement, and to create and maintain rewarding relationships for both our customers and B&Q.

What this means we do is:

• Identify appropriate financial services and products
• Build these products
• Manage them (in terms of systems and operations) and any third-party providers that sit behind them
• Ensure we are integrated with the rest of the B&Q customer proposition – in particular marketing, but also working with Commercial and Ops to identify business opportunities
• Manage the relationship with our customers (e.g. through promotions, statement messages, etc.)

Buying, Vendor Management & Merchandising

There are four core buying functions: Building, Decorative, Seasonal and Showroom. Within each buying function, there are between two and three Category Trading Managers responsible for delivering a fully integrated commercial plan. To ensure this is managed effectively, each buying Category is closely aligned with all key support functions, including Supply Chain, Merchandising, Quality Assurance, Marketing and Commercial Finance. Operational representatives also work with the team to ensure execution and communication is handled effectively. Each Category is run by a Category Trading Manager, and supported by a number of Buyers, Assistant Buyers and Buying Assistants.

The Merchandising department plays a pro-active role in business change and growth by producing customer focused merchandising solutions for all product groupings. As well as producing logical and visually impacting layouts for our customers, they analyse data to ensure our product space and adjacencies are optimised and planned in our stores, and the planograms have enough stock to meet customer demand.

In addition to the planning and development of layouts they deliver low cost controlled implementation solutions for all new ranges into our business. This is all achieved by working cross functionally to deliver the best layouts for our customers.

Commercial Planning, Commercial Value & Range Development

The Commercial Planning department works in close alignment with the buying functions, and focuses specifically on trading planning, strategic and direct sourcing, as well as strategy reviews and implementation.

Contact Centre & Customer Service

Customer Services advise and take action with customer enquiries that can vary from product knowledge, stock information, social responsibilities, diversity, policies, location, price and availability of stock. Furthermore, they manage complaints of varying degrees about any area of the business.

Customer Services also act as an advice centre for the business, giving correct advice, support and guidance to all stores and other areas within the business on customer management. As well as supporting the customer, Customer Services are involved with numerous projects to enhance the service they provide that supports the company’s strategy.

E-Commerce

The e-commerce team defines and delivers a compelling customer proposition for our Home Delivery and DIY.com offering. The team works closely with Marketing, Commercial, Supply Chain and Operations to ensure our DIY.com site carries an extensive range of B&Q products. The site gives customers the inspiration and confidence to fulfill their DIY mission, with integrated marketing promotions driving awareness, sales and incremental store footfall throughout the year.

Finance & Payroll

Finance comprises of the following departments

• Corporate Finance
• Commercial Finance
• Retail Finance
• Audit
• Operational Finance, Payroll & Risk

HR

We are passionate about attracting talent into B&Q, to enable us to engage our customers and drive business performance.

The HR team at B&Q work together to deliver a complete HR solution across SSO and store operations. There are opportunities to work in generalist and specialist roles.

The SSO and Retail HR teams provide generalist support to their customers with Learning and Development teams in each to support them. In SSO, the teams are set up to support by function and in store operations, the teams are split geographically to support regions and divisions.

The Organisation Development (OD) team supports the key business work stream activity required to drive us towards a high performance based culture and aligned with the business strategy. The team also provides specialist support centrally in the following areas:-

• Business Engagement
• Benefits and Reward
• Employment Relations
• Employment Law
• HR Systems
• Organisation Development
• Corporate Communications

Information Technology

The information technology department supports the day-to-day operation of the business and provides the IT platform allowing us to drive improvements in efficiency within the business.

There are a number of areas within IT:

• Desktop Support are a one stop shop offering a variety of services to all employees
• Systems Security are responsible for securing company information for B&Q and for providing and implementing security policy, consultancy, monitoring.
• The Systems Installation Team are responsible for project managing the installation of the complete systems infrastructure

As the new store opening progresses, the relevant team will oversee the installation of all in-store cabling, network equipment, RF system, PCs, printers, tills and also the telephone system. The team are also involved in the ongoing Revamp program, where Supercentres are converted to the Mini-Warehouse format. These often require additional systems equipment to be installed, such as extra tills, PCs, etc.

Legal & Corporate Social Responsibility

The corporate social responsibility team builds and implements strategies for B&Q to support our ethical trading and behaviour, to contribute to economic development, while improving the quality of life of our workforce and their families as well as the local community at large.

Marketing, Branding & Communications

To deliver communication for B&Q both internally and externally there are dedicated teams whose sole focus is to create and deliver communication through the best and most effective channels.

The Marketing function is divided into four teams:

• Category Marketing
• National, Local & Targeted Advertising
• Store Marketing
• Creative Services

Category Marketing

Category Marketing Team

The Category Marketing team is accountable for the B&Q Trading Plan. They are responsible for producing the 12 -18 month Trading plan based on.

• The Customer Calendar
• B&Q Financial Targets
• Competitor Insights

These include information about all our Trading activity for the commercial, stores, value chain and marketing teams to plan their activity and ensure that they can deliver their part efficiently and effectively.

The team is all responsible for all customer communications briefs which include all in store and external – press, TV & radio etc.

National, Local & Targeted Advertising

The National, Local & Targeted Advertising team is responsible for planning and producing all TV, radio, press and press inserts, and door drop flyers – in summary all “above the line” external “mass media” customer communications designed to drive footfall to stores.

The targeted advertising team is responsible for all new store and store revamp advertising, as well as advertising that requires a more specialist approach to build awareness amongst targeted audiences such as Diamond Club and Trade.

Store Marketing

The Store Marketing team was newly created during the function re-structure in 2009, bringing all our in store marketing activity together in one place.

The Store Communications and POS teams cover all POS for events, promotions and range reviews.

The In store Publications and Media teams are responsible for all in-store publications and media, including in-store flyers, leaflets, how to’s, and radio etc.

Creative Services

The Creative Services team is a combination of the Creative Studio and Packaging teams.

The Packaging team delivers the graphic identities for all of B&Q’s Own Label, Own Brand Exclusive and Exclusive Brands through packaging artwork and supports their wider implementation through the production of Brand Guidelines. The team also supports buying and vendors with technical packaging expertise to both optimise packaging and minimise stock loss.

The Creative Studio supports marketing with graphic design and artwork production for POS, Brochures and Packaging. The team also supports the rest of the business through the design and artwork of any marketing material they might require.

Profit Protection, Fraud & Risk

The Profit Protection team is responsible for reducing stockloss and shrinkage through carrying out investigations, stock take, review and implementing improved processes across the entire business.

The Risk Management Team deal with all health and safety aspects of running a diverse portfolio together with any personal injury claims related to product defects or accidents in store.

Property & Facilities

Through effective facilities management, the facilities team is responsible for providing a safe and efficient working environment through building maintenance and contract management that includes cleaning, catering and security management.

The Property department is made up of 3 main areas:

Property Acquisition and Management

The Acquisition/Asset Management team is responsible for identifying and acquiring new stores (and extension space) throughout the UK and Ireland. Most new stores are leasehold but some are acquired via a freehold route and held as investments by B&Q Properties. The team also has a Site Research resource, which holds data on customer activity and spending patterns and has an extensive mapping capability. Asset Management involves the disposal of idle space and the renewal of leases on stores nearing the end of the existing lease term.

The Property Management team is responsible for supporting our stores in all matters relating to Landlords and Local Authorities. Key activities are rent reviews, rating appeals and service charge payment.

B&Q Properties

As Kingfisher's UK property company, B&Q Properties is responsible for developing and managing a substantial portfolio of commercial property assets. The company's annual rent roll is around £40 million, mainly from sister company B&Q Plc.

Examples of pieces of work include; completing on new stores and distribution centres, proposals for new B&Q headquarters in Chandlers Ford and development of surplus or under-utilised land (for third party occupiers) adjoining existing B&Q operational sites.

Property Services

The Property Services team comprises of 5 specialised areas: Retail Fit Out, Building and FM Services, GNFR Procurement, Energy and Risk Management.

The Retail fit out team are responsible for managing and overseeing new store fit out and an extensive store refurbishment programme. Its success is key to delivering a step change in the store format, a fundamental element of our future growth. The team also support Commercial in the delivery of range change activity.

The Building & FM Services teams are responsible for new store shell construction and the ongoing maintenance and repair of the B&Q stores, whilst the GNFR Procurement team manage and purchase all of the equipment that you would find in store from racking and shelving to kitchen and bathroom displays. The Energy team purchase and effectively manage the B&Q spend on gas, electricity and water.

Quality Assurance

The Quality Assurance team sits within the overall Commercial department and is responsible for ensuring all products purchased and sold within B&Q meet and comply with regulated safety and quality standards. Furthermore, they ensure that factories used to manufacture our products meet specified Health and Safety standards.

Secretarial & Administration

Within every function of Store Support Office there are various secretarial and administration roles that are key to supporting the delivery of functional strategies.

Store Support Operations, Store Support Development & Installation Services

The Central Operations function is responsible for managing and developing business activities to support and enhance Store Operations. Central Operations has two functions, Store Operations and Store Development.

Store Development is responsible for the strategy and implementation of new stores and revamps.

The Store Operations team is responsible for ensuring that Stores have the SSO support they need to operate effectively and are the main point of contact between stores and all other SSO functions.

Installations

The installations teams are field based or located within an Installation Centre. The installations team help drive our customer-led business strategy forward, by ensuring that our service and solutions offering is second to none. We do this through our continuous commitment to providing our customers and stores with the solutions and support they need to ensure that the installations offer is right for them, in terms of service and cost.

An Installation Centre is a small stand alone unit that manages projects from beginning to end for our customers. The units are generally around 5,000 sq ft, most of this being made up of space to receive, check and consolidate deliveries with additional space given over to administration/ office functions.

Supply Chain & Logistics

Supply Chain is all about delivering the right products to the right stores at the right time and at the right cost. Key measures include availability of stock, inventory and cost.

The Retail Team work closely with the Commercial categories, forecasting and purchasing products throughout the year. They are accountable for managing the end-to-end supply of all our product lines, ensuring that they are delivered from source to stores at the right time, at the right place and in the right quantities to ensure maximum on shelf availability for the customers in our stores. They plan stock inputs for new seasons, promotional events and new range launches. They are responsible for ensuring great service from all our vendors, based in the UK and globally. This includes handling all import transactions and shipping, as B&Q is the largest deep sea shipper by volume in the UK.

The Orange Team are the face of the Store Support Office to stores and they handle all queries including questions about stock availability, enquiries about products and spare parts, customer orders, and problems with deliveries etc.

The Development Team are responsible for future developments within Value Chain, developing new systems and processes that improve the effectiveness of the flow of products from the Suppliers through the distribution network to the stores and ultimately to our customers.

The logistics teams manage our Distribution network and a fleet of vehicles that transport our products to stores.

B&Q To Home supports store operations and DIY.com by providing delivery solutions through a variety of channels to deliver to customers homes.

The B&Q To Home Team has a wide variety of skills ranging from warehousing and logistics through to call centre and business planning.