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Jean Louis Falet is CEO of Castorama Italia.DIY in Europe discussed with Jean Louis Falet, chief executive officer of Castorama Italy, what the future might hold for the brand and the do-it-yourself scene in Italy.
Does the opening of the store in Chieti mark the start of inroads into central and southern Italy as well? Are there differences in the product assortment?Northern Italy remains the most important market, though the big cities in central and southern Italy are of interest to us as well. That is why we intend to open a store in Bari this year. On the subject of the product assortment, it is 95 per cent identical with the range in all our stores. It must be said that one observable difference is in the stockturn of certain products in different regions and conurbations. For example, more wood preservatives and rust inhibitors are sold in towns on the coast than in other regions.What sort of operating results is Castorama achieving in the Italian market?The DIY market in Italy is developing normally, which means without either highs or lows. In contrast to this, what is changing is the market share of the channels of distribution. Things are going well for us, though they could be better. Growth including new openings amounted to an increase of 25 per cent in 2001, and 24 per cent in 2002. The first six months of 2003 were most successful, with business particularly good in May. The weather conditions were favourable and the general atmosphere of crisis is resulting in people investing more in their flats and houses.Castorama divides its product offer into five different categories. Which are the most profitable?The most interesting category is maintenance, followed by decorating and gardening. No comparably positive development is evident in the case of building materials, and although the technical category covering tools and hardware can point to a high volume of sales, the actual sales figures are lower. Nevertheless, the five categories demonstrate a substantial degree of equilibrium. This is crucial, since it means that the overall risk is not too great.Is Castorama different here than in other countries?Yes, the market in Italy is undoubtedly more balanced than in France, where interior decoration plays a major role, or in Poland, where the demand for building materials is especially strong. The product offer also displays differences: the choice of 35 000 products in Italy is slightly smaller than in France, though here the…
Does the opening of the store in Chieti mark the start of inroads into central and southern Italy as well? Are there differences in the product assortment?Northern Italy remains the most important market, though the big cities in central and southern Italy are of interest to us as well. That is why we intend to open a store in Bari this year. On the subject of the product assortment, it is 95 per cent identical with the range in all our stores. It must be said that one observable difference is in the stockturn of certain products in different regions and conurbations. For example, more wood preservatives and rust inhibitors are sold in towns on the coast than in other regions.What sort of operating results is Castorama achieving in the Italian market?The DIY market in Italy is developing normally, which means without either highs or lows. In contrast to this, what is changing is the market share of the channels of distribution. Things are going well for us, though they could be better. Growth including new openings amounted to an increase of 25 per cent in 2001, and 24 per cent in 2002. The first six months of 2003 were most successful, with business particularly good in May. The weather conditions were favourable and the general atmosphere of crisis is resulting in people investing more in their flats and houses.Castorama divides its product offer into five different categories. Which are the most profitable?The most interesting category is maintenance, followed by decorating and gardening. No comparably positive development is evident in the case of building materials, and although the technical category covering tools and hardware can point to a high volume of sales, the actual sales figures are lower. Nevertheless, the five categories demonstrate a substantial degree of equilibrium. This is crucial, since it means that the overall risk is not too great.Is Castorama different here than in other countries?Yes, the market in Italy is undoubtedly more balanced than in France, where interior decoration plays a major role, or in Poland, where the demand for building materials is especially strong. The product offer also displays differences: the choice of 35 000 products in Italy is slightly smaller than in France, though here the…
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