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France

DIY chains strengthen their position

Growth rates in the French market as a whole remained at less than one per cent in 2015, but the DIY chains are outperforming the rest
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The French DIY market increased by 0.6 per cent to € 24.955 bn in 2015. That is according to statistics published by Unibal, the French association of manufacturers. The market has thus scarcely grown - and more to the point, that's against the background of an inflation rate of just 0.2 per cent.
What makes rather sobering reading at first glance, however, doesn't seem as bad by any means for DIY stores when looked at again. This is because the large-scale DIY stores (termed "grandes surfaces de bricolage" or GSB in France), with a share of 78 per cent (€ 19.354 bn), are the main sales channel. They have increased their sales by 1.9 per cent, therefore achieving above-average growth. In contrast, specialist shops, the second largest segment with a 15 per cent share, lost 8.4 per cent.
The retail space of DIY stores grew by 2.1 per cent. Their average size increased while the number of stores remained practically the same. In this respect, the DIY sector in France is no different to the other established DIY markets in neighbouring European countries: growth in sales is secured in part by more retail area, and productivity per unit area is declining.
Nevertheless, the DIY sector tends to view its situation as positive on the whole. The reason for this is the trend in the property market. It is generally perceived that DIY stores depend to a significant extent on the state of the property market, and this improved in 2015. Housing stock transactions were up by 16 per cent to € 803 mio, with 13 per cent more detached properties (111,300) being sold. The historically low interest rate has impacted France too.
This trend had not yet made itself felt at the merchandise level in 2015, however. In the market as a whole (not just in DIY stores) the building materials range was the biggest loser, declining by six per cent, while electricals fared best with growth of nine per cent.
These figures too make a more dramatic impression when related to the DIY store sector. In the DIY stores, building materials only account for a share of eight per cent of overall sales as compared with 47 per cent for builders merchants, who lost sales overall in 2015. For DIY stores, therefore, the decline in the building materials segment was just two per cent.In the garden…
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