Jem & Fix, Denmark
Jem & Fix is the largest pure DIY store chain in Denmark.
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Nordic countries - Denmark

Opportunities are good

The Danish home improvement market is benefiting from the boom on the labour and property market. Expert Jørgen Moth analyses how the trade is positioned
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With its 5.8 million inhabitants over 43 000 km², Denmark is a sparsely populated country when compared to Europe: only 134 Danes live within one square kilo­metre.
In the case of its large southern neighbours, for example the Germans, there are almost twice as many (231). That's why they gladly visit Denmark as tourists - after all, the country can offer them 7 300 km of coastline and a lot of quiet retreat areas in which a bit of wild nature can often be found.
The home improvement industry in Denmark is currently experiencing maybe not quite as idyllic but still very favourable conditions. The employment rate is high, the unemployment rate is very low compared to other EU countries. Currently 3.9 per cent of the workforce is unemployed (as of October 2018), the inflation rate is at 0.8 per cent (Octo­ber 2018). GNP in Denmark is EUR 284 bn (forecast) which is an increase of 2.2 per cent compared to 2017.
This year approximately 33 500 housing units were built. In 2009 the number was 11 300 units. Furthermore, EUR 5.1 bn was spent on renovating private housing. According to Denmark's statistics, that is the highest amount in ten years.
At the moment it is difficult and rather expensive to hire professionals for smaller house repairs, as there is an increase in demand.
So opportunities are very good on the DIY retail market. The industry is seeing an increase in the number of stores with a low price and narrow product range concept. The store chains Jem & Fix and Harald Nyborg, both owned by Harald Nyborg A/S, are examples of this.
Other stores on the market are more specialised and remove products from the stores if they do not sell them. Almost no DIY stores sell plants, flowers, kitchens and household appliances. These product ranges are moving into specialised store formats.
The best known example is Ikea. The Swedish furniture giant has increased its market share on kitchens and holds approximately 30 per cent of the Danish market. And just like everywhere, they also sell other products for the kitchen and household products.
A core range for all DIY retailers are tools. Most builders' merchants and DIY stores sell paint and wallpaper, which is a profitable area with high revenue and profit.
The market leader within the paint category is Dyrup who sells its products through 300 retailers in Denmark. Other suppliers of paint are Jotun and Sadolin.Flügger, a manufacturer of paint and wallpaper, is active in sales itself and has 175 retail stores in Denmark…
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