Disruptive? Reassuring!

 “A disruptive world” is the motto under which the international retailers’ and manufacturers’ associations Edra/Ghin and Fediyma are staging their 4th Global DIY-Summit in Stockholm in June. Indeed, “disruptive” is perhaps the term that best describes our perception of the world – the world in general, for example in our capacity as consumers of news and goods, as well as the special world of the DIY and garden sector.
In the DIY world, old certainties are vanishing. Russia, for example, which has previously delivered re­liable double-digit growth rates, now has to contend with a downturn in the sector.
In western Europe, names that have been associated with the industry for decades are sinking without trace too. The Austrian market leader, Baumax, which was also active in the CEE states, has now gone. In Great Britain, the Homebase brand will soon be a thing of the past too, because the number two in the British market has been acquired by the Australian retail group Bunnings and will be rebadged with the brand of the new owner.

Take the phenomenon of online retailing, which has seriously unsettled retailers in the bricks-and-mortar trade. Changes are afoot in this neck of the woods too. Whereas speciality retailers complained previously about customers seeking advice in stores and then buying more cheaply online, the tables have now been turned and, armed with information gleaned from the Internet, consumers are buying in the stores again. Many customers are returning to the certainties of the transparent offline world.
This means that the times could scarcely be better for a sector that now devotes itself more to home improvement than do it yourself. How reassur­ing: the general feeling of insecurity that people are experiencing is driving the customers back into the stores in droves.
Not happening? That might have something to do with the fact that the industry is too self-absorbed and is itself seeking orientation in the “disruptive world”. The number of delegates at the Global DIY Summit, a figure which is increasing year by year, is proof of this.That’s the good news, however: despite being in competition with one another, the players in the DIY and garden sector are discussing solutions and seeking security…