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Bunnings' disastrous expansion into the United Kingdom and Ireland has veered further off course, as a severe cold weather snap contributed to a deeper decline in sales during the March quarter.
Bunnings UK and Ireland's same-store sales fell 15.4 per cent in the third quarter - an acceleration from declines in previous quarters of 15.1 per cent, 11.9 per cent, and 4.3 per cent, its owner Wesfarmers said on Thursday.
The so-called "Beast from the East" brought freezing weather to much of Britain and hit sales of garden and outdoor goods.
Photo: BloombergWesfarmers, the retail conglomerate which also owns Coles, Kmart, Target and Officeworks, said total sales - which includes the impact of opening or closing stores - were down 13.5 per cent.
The group is reviewing the future of BUKI (Bunnings UK and Ireland), and is expected to announce in June whether it will exit the business through a sale, shutter it, or if it will try to turn the venture around.
Wesfarmers paid $705 million for the UK chain Homebase in 2016, and has 227 Homebase stores and 23 Bunnings branded outlets.