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B&Q
EntityQ707602· pop 10· linked from 224 articles

Also known as Block & Quayle, Block and Quayle, B&Q plc, B & Q, B and Q

B&Q Limited (short for Block & Quayle after the company's two founders) is a British multinational DIY, home improvement and garden centre retailing company, with headquarters in Eastleigh, England. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc. It was founded on 5 March 1969 by Richard Block and David Quayle.

Key facts

Company.name
B&Q Limited
Company.logo_size
180px
Company.image_caption
B&Q's logo since 2017
Company.type
Subsidiary
Company.location
Eastleigh, England, UK
Company.locations
316 shops (Jan 2023)
Company.key_people
Graham Bell (CEO)
Company.industry
Retail
Company.revenue
£3.8 billion (2022/23)
Company.net_income
£603 million (2022/23)
Company.num_employees
27,000 (2023)
Company.parent
Kingfisher plc

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official website
www.diy.com
Image
BandQ, Torquay - geograph.org.uk - 872862.jpg
Show 3 more facts
inception
1969-03-00
Commons category
B&Q
social media followers
107148
Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~10 min read

Article

16 sections
Contents
  • History
  • 1969 to 1979: Early growth
  • 1980s: Buyout and further expansion
  • 1990s
  • 2000s
  • 2010s
  • 2020s
  • Brands
  • Customers
  • Corporate affairs
  • Shops
  • Financial performance
  • International operations
  • Incidents
  • References
  • External links

B&Q Limited (short for Block & Quayle after the company's two founders) is a British multinational DIY, home improvement and garden centre retailing company, with headquarters in Eastleigh, England. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc. It was founded on 5 March 1969 by Richard Block and David Quayle.

It is the UK's largest home improvement retailer, serving both the general public and tradespeople. In contrast, its main competitor Wickes primarily caters to trade professionals. Where the British home improvement sector faced hostile competition in the 1990s, B&Q has become the dominant retailer in its sector following the demise of Focus in 2011 and Homebase in 2025.

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