Castorama: franchising in the French transformation plan
Kingfisher is incorporating franchising into the transformation of its French store estate, alongside refurbishment, downsizing and conversions to another brand.
Published
Franchising is taking a distinct role in the transformation of Kingfisher’s French stores. According to details from the half-year results presented on 22 September 2026, as reported by L’Express Franchise, 24 Castorama stores have already undergone changes: downsizing, refurbishment, conversion to Brico Dépôt or a move to franchise operation. A further nine are due to follow by the end of the financial year. It is important, however, to distinguish between the different elements of this programme.
Four ways to transform underperforming stores
The plan aims to turn around Castorama’s weakest-performing stores. Rather than relying on a single solution, Kingfisher is combining reductions in floor space, refurbishment, conversion to the Brico Dépôt brand and the use of franchise operators.
These four approaches involve different types of change. Reducing a store’s size or refurbishing it does not necessarily mean changing how it is operated. Similarly, conversion to Brico Dépôt should not automatically be treated as a move to franchising. For those in the franchise sector, this distinction is essential to understanding the true scope of the announcements.
The figure of 24 stores therefore covers all these changes, not 24 conversions to franchise operation. The available information does not break this total down across the four approaches. Nor does it establish how much each is expected to contribute to the turnaround.
Three franchised stores recorded in France
The store estate breakdown as at 31 July 2026 provides a more precise picture of franchising. At that date, Kingfisher had 93 Castorama stores and 130 Brico Dépôt stores in France. These totals included two Castorama stores and one Brico Dépôt operated by franchisees.
There were therefore three franchised stores across the two French networks at that date. The L’Express Franchise article, published on 23 September, states that the Brico Dépôt store has been operating as a franchise since May. The information provided does not identify the locations concerned or give details of their operators’ backgrounds.
This snapshot shows that franchising still has a limited presence within the two brands in France. It nevertheless confirms that both Castorama and Brico Dépôt now use this operating model. Franchising now has its own line in Kingfisher’s half-year accounts, making it directly identifiable in the store estate breakdown.
Nine further store changes, with no breakdown announced
Following the 24 stores already covered by the transformation programme, a further nine are due to follow before the end of the financial year. This is the deadline given in the reporting on the group’s half-year results.
It would, however, be premature to interpret this as nine future franchises. The available information gives no breakdown of this next phase between downsizing, refurbishment, brand conversion and changes to the operating model. The number of franchised stores recorded at 31 July and the number of planned store changes therefore answer two different questions.
As the programme progresses, the key points to check will be the types of changes actually completed and any increase in the number of stores run by franchisees. Without these details, the announcement indicates the planned pace of transformation, but not the future scale of franchising.
What prospective franchisees can take from this
For entrepreneurs following DIY retail brands, this news shows franchising being used in practice to transform an existing store estate. On its own, however, it is neither an announcement of franchisee recruitment nor a guide to the requirements for joining either network.
The available information does not specify the investment required, contractual terms or any stores that might be offered to prospective franchisees. Nor does it provide financial results specifically for the three franchised stores. Their presence in the estate should therefore not be confused with evidence of profitability.
Key takeaway: before assessing an opportunity, ask the brand to confirm which locations are available, the proposed operating model and the financial terms. The transformation programme is a development worth monitoring, but not yet a basis for an investment decision.
