Last year, B&Q China partnered with US domestic appliance giant Electrolux to sell its refrigerators in its Beijing stores.

Wei admitted that, as China's DIY market is too small, B&Q has long considered adding domestic appliances to its Chinese stores.

"So it is quite clear why B&Q is making the shift to domestic appliances," said Zhang Jian, an analyst with Shanghai-based Link-Line Consulting Co Ltd. "B&Q China has to reconsider the products it sells in order to maintain its rapid growth."

Meanwhile, B&Q, in a bid to grab some of the market share currently held by furnishing giants such as Ikea, will also offer more soft furnishings and cut back on the number of basic DIY products such as nuts and bolts.

"Now we have Mickey Mouse pillows and other soft furnishing products. Our strategy is to cultivate B&Q's image as a fashionable retailer," Wei said.

"We will have a broader selection which may add more soft decorations like furniture in the future," he said.

On May 20, B&Q opened a store specializing in soft furnishing accessories in East China's Fujian Province, the first of this kind in China.

B&Q currently has more than 50 stores in China. The company is planning to open its tenth store in Shanghai, where its regional headquarter is based, according to a release from the company yesterday.

The company expects to have 100 stores in China by the end of 2010, according to a report by Xinhua News Agency. B&Q opened its first chain store in Shanghai in June 1999.

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