New Castorama CEO appointed

Kingfisher PLC
12 February 2003

12 February 2003


             KINGFISHER ANNOUNCES NEW CASTORAMA CHIEF EXECUTIVE


Kingfisher plc has today announced the appointment of Philippe Tible as Chief
Executive of Castorama France.  Philippe will take up his new position on 17
February 2003 and will report to Kingfisher's Chief Executive Gerry Murphy.

Philippe, 52, has spent his entire career in the French retail industry.  During
a decade with French home improvement retailer Leroy Merlin, he held a number of
increasingly senior roles from Store General Manager (1983 to 1986) to Executive
Director of France (1995 to 1997) and finally Managing Director Asia in 1997. 
Later that year he became Managing Director Asia Pacific of Conforama (PPR
Group), another leading French retail chain.

In 1999, Philippe returned to France where, together with two equity funds, he
became a private investor in, and Chief Executive of, Mille Amis, a pet food
retailer which he and his partners sold in November 2001.

A French national, Philippe is married with two children and speaks fluent
English.  He was educated in France, where he received degrees in law and
economics from Bordeaux University.

Kingfisher Chief Executive Gerry Murphy said: 'I'm delighted to welcome Philippe
to Kingfisher.  He brings a wealth of outstanding home improvement retail
experience and joins at an exciting time in the Group's transformation into a
pure-play home improvement retailer.  He will play a pivotal role in helping
Kingfisher achieve one of its strategic objectives, namely the revitalisation of
Castorama in France.'

Philippe will replace Didier Hernoux who has been Acting Chief Executive since
August 2002. Didier, who had previously been Castorama Group Director of Human
Resources, will move to another senior role within the Kingfisher Group.

                             -ends-


Notes to Editors Kingfisher is Europe's leading home improvement retailer and is
ranked number three in the world. The Company operates more than 600 home
improvement stores in 12 countries and enjoys market-leading positions in the
UK, France, Poland and Taiwan. Sales for the Home Improvement sector for the
year to 2 February 2002 were more than £5.8 billion, with retail profit in
excess of £430 million.  Kingfisher also has a strategic alliance with Hornbach,
Germany's leading big box home improvement retailer, which operates 99 stores
across Europe.


Kingfisher's Electrical & Furniture business operates more than 830 stores in
nine countries.  It is Europe's third largest electricals retailing business by
sales and number two by retail profit. As well as holding the leading position
in France with Darty and BUT and the number two position in the UK with Comet,
Kingfisher also enjoys leading positions in Belgium and in the Czech and Slovak
Republics.  Sales for the year to 2 February 2002 were more than £3.7 billion,
with retail profit of £184 million.  On 17 January 2003, Kingfisher announced
the sale of its German electricals business, which operates 185 stores in
Germany and Austria under the ProMarkt and Foto-Radio Wegert brands.


Enquiries

Kingfisher plc
Ian Harding, Director of Financial Communications           [phone]
Jonathan Miller, Head of Corporate Comms, UK                [phone]

France
Benoit Viala, Euro RSCG                                    [phone]

The Maitland Consultancy
Duncan Campbell-Smith                                       [phone]

Kingfisher plc                                              [phone]
Kingfisher website                                            www.kingfisher.com



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