DIY retailer Kingfisher saw group retail profit soar 13% during the third quarter after total group sales rose 3.5%.
The company, which owns the Screwfix and B&Q brands, generated £2.8bn through sales leading to a £273m retail profit.
Chief executive Ian Cheshire said: "Our well-established programme of self-help initiatives has continued to drive our growth despite these difficult times for European consumers. I am pleased that our teams' hard work has resulted in healthy sales growth and a 13% profit growth in our third quarter, one of our most significant trading periods of the year, particularly in France.
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"Looking ahead, the short-term outlook in our major markets remains challenging but Kingfisher is in good shape, and we are more able to drive market share gains, profit growth and higher cash returns."
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The firm's French division continued to outperform the market with self-help initiatives driving sales ahead 2.9% to £1.19bn, while in the UK and Ireland, the company reported a 1.2% rise in sales and a 21.7% increase in profit.
During the third quarter the group opened six new stores in its "other international" division, including three in Poland where lower profit was offset by a strong performance in Russia and Turkey.
B&Q China suffered a 5% decline in sales to £92m after it was hit by a challening housing market.
At the end of the period the firm had net cash of £14m, compared to net debt of £186m at 30 July.
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