It’s not totally clear what sealed the fate of Véronique Laury, the chief executive of Kingfisher who is now on her way out of one of Europe’s largest home improvement retailers. The unrelenting sales decline at its Castorama outlets in France? The impossibility of the task she had set herself of finding £500 million in additional profits by 2021? Or was it that Ms Laury, 53, has had enough of living and working in Britain, away from her family and under the harsh scrutiny of a sceptical City and a nervous board?
Whatever the reason, Ms Laury is being replaced, in all probability before the end of the year, and a new person will get the opportunity to do their own DIY job. It is