Commission charged to tradesperson on completed jobs . Customers are individuals or SMEs .
* Estimated
Belgium Austria Netherlands
BUSINESS
HOME IMPROVEMENT ACQUISITION CONNECTS CUSTOMERS TO SPECIALIST SKILLS
Kingfisher plc , the international home improvement retailer , has acquired NeedHelp , one of Europe ’ s leading home improvement services marketplaces , for a total cash consideration of c .€ 10 million . As part of the transaction , Guillaume de Kergariou , the founder of NeedHelp , has reinvested proceeds from the sale in a 20 % interest in the business , resulting in Kingfisher owning 80 %.
» GUILLAUME DE KERGARIOU , NeedHelp ’ s founder and CEO , added : “ We are delighted to be cementing our relationship with Kingfisher through this transaction . The additional investment and expertise that Kingfisher will bring , as well as the ability to help support its huge customer base , opens an exciting new chapter for us . We will continue investing in our technology , product and operational processes to drive even greater customer satisfaction . We are proud to support the growth of the home improvement market in Europe , through our open architecture model .”
NeedHelp ( www . needhelp . com ) is an innovative B2B2C ( 1 ) online platform that connects customers who need home improvement help , either in-store or online , with vetted professional tradespeople and other skilled experts . The acquisition represents an important step forward for one of Kingfisher ’ s key priorities under its recently announced ‘ Powered by Kingfisher ’ strategy : to build a mobile-first and service-orientated customer experience .
Kingfisher acquires NeedHelp services marketplace
NeedHelp is an innovative online platform that connects customers who need home improvement help with vetted professional tradespeople and other skilled experts . The platform is available either in-store or online .
The acquisition represents a key step forward in one of the Powered by Kingfisher ’ s key strategic priorities : to build a mobile-first and service-orientated customer experience .
NeedHelp will continue to operate as an independent company and will seek to offer its installation capabilities to retail customers across the European home improvement sector , through its open architecture model .
The model
Sellers
Provide trade services
Most popular jobs
Key facts
Operator
Manages payments and sellers
Marketplace
Kitchen installation
Painting
Flooring
Customers
Buy services from marketplace
Bathroom renovation
Walls / partition
Plumbing
Electrics
NeedHelp was founded in France in 2014 by Guillaume de Kergariou , who will continue as CEO to lead the team and grow the business .
www . needhelp . com
Retail
partners :
12
Stores
signed up :
650
How does it work ?
Tradesperson vetting process Other key benefits 1 2 3 4 5
www . kingfisher . com
Customer
Tradesperson
Check ID , certifications , insurance , VAT number etc .
Test new tradesperson on simple missions .
Monitor response times , claims ratios , average ratings to find the best .
Verify the tasks they have experience of .
Describe and post your job
Search for jobs
Endorse the very best to work with retail partners .
Through its open architecture , NeedHelp already provides its services to customers of other well-known retailers .
Completed jobs in 2020 *:
58,000
Up from 29,000 in 2019
Current operating countries :
6
France Switzerland Germany
Choose a Tradesperson based on price and rating
Bid for jobs
Pay when the work is finished and rate them
Complete jobs and get paid
The platform provides customers with convenience , speed and competitive pricing for getting their home improvement projects done with the help of a tradesperson .
One platform for customers to find a tradesperson for all of their home improvement needs .
End-to-end platform manages bookings , payments and disputes , giving confidence for customers .
Added value to tradespeople : insurance , business set-up and tax return support .
Existing Kingfisher partnerships :
Planned expansion into the UK and Poland in 2021 :
NeedHelp ’ s strong growth is being driven by its highly differentiated proposition :
• It provides customers with service options from a range of channels including retail partners ’ stores , retail partners ’ e-commerce sites , and from its own site .
• Unlike other service marketplaces which aim to provide a directory of tradespeople or ‘ jobbers ’, NeedHelp focuses on the specialist skills needed for home improvement . The most popular home improvement projects offered via NeedHelp are kitchen installations , painting , flooring and bathroom renovations . Other jobs undertaken include gardening , furniture assembly and house or furniture moving .
• It operates a data-driven end-to-end platform that manages all bookings , online payments , vetting processes , and rating of tradespeople . This delivers both confidence to customers and added value to tradespeople , including insurance , professional business set-up support and assistance with tax returns . Customer satisfaction is high , with an average rating of 4.85 out of 5 ( 3 ).
Along with developing NeedHelp ’ s business in Europe with existing and new retail partners , Kingfisher also plans to roll out the platform in the UK and Poland . In the UK , NeedHelp will be able to support B & Q ’ s customers who need assistance with their home improvement projects , as well as cooperate with Screwfix ’ s customer base of trade professionals . NeedHelp will continue to operate as an independent company and will seek to offer its installation capabilities to retail customers across the Home Improvement sector , through its open architecture model .
Commenting on the acquisition , Thierry Garnier , Kingfisher ’ s CEO , said : “ To serve customers effectively today , we need to be more digital and service orientated , while leveraging our strong store assets . Online services marketplaces are key to the future of home improvement retail and NeedHelp is an established and fast-growing player in this arena . Its acquisition accelerates our digital capabilities and extends the services that we can provide our customers – two central components of our future growth strategy . Looking ahead , we will develop NeedHelp quickly in the UK and Poland by leveraging our extensive store network and our differentiated banners that serve both home improvers and tradespeople . This represents an exciting opportunity to create a more complete services offer and to help make better homes accessible for everyone .”
‘ NeedHelp ’ s success has been built by delivering ease and assurance to customers who want to improve their homes , and the tradespeople with the skills to support them ’
JJ Van Oosten , Kingfisher ’ s Chief Customer and Digital Officer , who has been appointed as NeedHelp ’ s Chairman , commented : “ NeedHelp ’ s success has been built by delivering ease and assurance to customers who want to improve their homes , and the tradespeople with the skills to support them . We know the business well , it is a natural fit with our retail banners , and it accelerates our service proposition . Kingfisher is committed to supporting NeedHelp in unlocking its significant growth potential , by promoting and growing NeedHelp ’ s open architecture with its existing retail partners , as well as with new retail partners across Europe .”
www . kingfisher . com
94 » JAN 2021 » CLEARVIEW-UK . COM