David Quayle, one of the B&Q founders and the man behind the Q in the retailer’s name, visited the eco-friendly New Malden store last week with chief executive Euan Sutherland as the business celebrates its 40th anniversary

Quayle and Richard Block opened their first hardware store, originally called Block and Quayle, in Southampton in 1969. Sutherland said: “Home improvement has come a long way since Block & Quayle. With homeowners taking on ever more ambitious projects and technology becoming increasingly integrated into all that we do, the future looks exciting.”

Since opening last month, the New Malden B&Q store has become the chain's “best-performing” store based on week-on-week sales.