Kingfisher said the early Easter and unseasonably cold weather in spring dampened sales of outdoor products, which normally can represent up to 30% of sales in the first quarter.
Kingfisher’s UK and Ireland business, comprising B&Q and Screwfix, recorded a 32% fall in profits for the period to £50m (2012: £74m).
B&Q’s total sales declined by 5.7% to £913m, with building product sales also impacted by the cold weather.
However, Screwfix continues to outperform B&Q, recording a 12.6% sales growth to £155m, benefiting from new product ranges (including paint and power tools), the continued roll-out of new outlets and the successful introduction of a mobile "click, pay and collect" service last year.
Kingfisher plc group chief executive Ian Cheshire said business performance towards the end of the period was encouraging following a return to more normal weather patterns.
The group will continue to "focus hard" on margins and cost initiatives.
