B&M boosted by lockdown demand for DIY and gardening products

LONDON (Reuters) - British discount retailer B&M said on Friday exceptionally strong demand for do-it-yourself (DIY) and gardening products in the coronavirus lockdown drove a 22.7% jump in underlying UK sales over the last eight weeks.The group, which has traded throughout the lockdown, said UK like-for-like sales growth had accelerated from 6.6% in the final quarter of its 2019-20 year, which benefited from a strong March performance in grocery.It said customers had been coming to its stores..