Kingfisher, the home improvement retail group that owns B&Q and Castorama, will this week make a broad appeal to property landlords to switch all retailers’ rent payments from quarterly to monthly, to free up extra cash.

The group plans to approach leading property groups this week to demand a fair playing field on rents as some retailers, under increasing financial pressure as cash-poor consumers stop spending, negotiate new terms.

The group is understood to be upset that some retailers, particularly those that have run into financial trouble, are persuading landlords to agree to monthly payments, while others are being forced to stick with traditional quarterly payments.

Financial Times