The sector's highest sales were recorded in plumbing and heating products (EUR 465.0 mio), building chemistry/building materials (EUR 353.0 mio), electrical including lighting (EUR 316.6 mio), tools/machinery/workshop equipment (EUR 291.9 mio) and coatings/painting accessories (EUR 275.9 mio).
Considering range development compared with the previous year, garden assortments were the strongest growth drivers. The product groups garden chemistry/compost/seeds (+36.3 per cent), garden appliances/watering and drainage (+30.6 per cent), garden equipment (+22.7 per cent), plants (+21.6 per cent) and garden furniture (+8.1 per cent) showed a significant increase, also due in part to the poor results in the comparable quarter of 2016.
As well as the garden ranges, sales also increased for the automotive (+7.9 per cent), components (+7.7 per cent) and building chemistry/building materials (+7.5 per cent) product groups. The most marked decline in sales came in the product categories of household goods (-7.5 per cent), living/decorating (-7.1 per cent) and electrical (-5.3 per cent).