Why It Matters
The conversation shows how legacy retailers can compete with pure‑play e‑commerce giants by leveraging their brick‑and‑mortar assets, a model many U.S. home‑improvement chains are watching closely. Understanding Kingfisher’s blend of omnichannel fulfillment, marketplace integration, and measured AI adoption offers actionable insights for retailers aiming to grow digital revenue without sacrificing the in‑store experience.
Key Takeaways
- •Stores central to Kingfisher’s e‑commerce growth to 30%.
- •90% of online orders fulfilled through physical stores.
- •Marketplace enables click‑and‑collect and in‑store returns.
- •3% of retail media aims to equal total e‑commerce GMV.
- •AI checkout not priority; focus on project‑based personalization.
Pulse Analysis
Kingfisher, Europe’s leading DIY retailer, currently generates about 21% of its revenue online and aims to lift that share to 30% by making its brick‑and‑mortar stores the hub of its digital strategy. Roman Rolu explains that 90% of e‑commerce orders are already fulfilled from stores, leveraging the existing logistics network to compete with pure‑play players. This store‑centric approach not only accelerates fulfillment speed but also deepens customer relationships by turning each location into a fulfillment and experience center, a critical advantage in the high‑consideration DIY market.
A key pillar of the growth plan is the integration of a robust marketplace that blends third‑party (3P) inventory with Kingfisher’s own (1P) catalog. The company recently launched click‑and‑collect and in‑store return capabilities for marketplace purchases, a service still rare among European omni‑channel operators. With 3.5 million SKUs available across 3P partners versus roughly 60 thousand 1P items, store associates can instantly source out‑of‑stock items, offering customers 24‑ to 48‑hour delivery or same‑day pickup. This seamless 1P‑3P basket integration expands product availability without over‑stocking physical shelves, driving higher conversion and customer satisfaction.
Kingfisher also targets retail media revenue equal to 3% of its total e‑commerce GMV, banking on the fact that 3P vendors are already adept at platform advertising from experiences on Amazon. While AI‑driven personalization is a focus—especially for complex, project‑based purchases—the company views fully automated checkout as overhyped for now. Instead, resources are directed toward AI agents that guide shoppers through multi‑item projects, ensuring a smooth journey from inspiration to purchase. This balanced investment in marketplace, media, and pragmatic AI positions Kingfisher to capture a larger slice of the DIY digital market without sacrificing the strengths of its physical store network.
Episode Description
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from World Retail Congress 2026 in Berlin, Chris Walton sits down with Romain Roulleau, Group Digital & Ecommerce Director at Kingfisher, to unpack how one of Europe’s largest home improvement retailers plans to grow ecommerce from 21% to 30% of total sales.
Romain explains why stores sit at the center of Kingfisher’s digital strategy, how marketplaces are transforming DIY retail, and why AI in home improvement requires a very different approach than categories like grocery or apparel. The conversation also dives into omnichannel fulfillment, click-and-collect innovation, retail media, and why project-based shopping changes everything for ecommerce and AI personalization.
Plus, why Kingfisher is prioritizing customer journey support over AI-powered checkout and what retailers still misunderstand about the future of agentic commerce.
Key Topics Covered:
• Kingfisher’s strategy to grow ecommerce to 30%
• Why stores are central to modern digital retail
• How click-and-collect is evolving in marketplace ecommerce
• Integrating third-party marketplace products into in-store shopping
• Why DIY retail is uniquely complex for AI and personalization
• The future of AI agents in home improvement retail
• How retail media differs between 1P and 3P marketplace sellers
• Why Kingfisher sees stores as a competitive advantage vs. pure-play ecommerce
• The operational challenges behind large-scale omnichannel retail
• Why AI-powered checkout may still be years away
Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail’s live coverage from World Retail Congress 2026 in Berlin.
#WRC2026 #WorldRetailCongress #OmniTalkRetail #Kingfisher #Ecommerce #RetailMedia #AIinRetail #Marketplace #DIYRetail #Omnichannel #RetailInnovation
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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