Barbecues too, carpets only in winter

The Greek DIY market is shared by two companies in the retail segment: Leroy Merlin, part of the French Adeo Group, and Praktiker Hellas, which has been owned by the Canadian Fairfax Holding since 2014 following the bankruptcy of its German parent company and was taken over in the summer of 2025 by the parent company of the Romanian DIY market leader Dedeman. diy reported in detail on the market in Greece in its European edition in August 2025.

How are the two chains specifically approaching this market? Looking around the store, one thing is clear: you can see both of their parent companies in them. On the one hand, there is the implementation of the typical Leroy Merlin concept with an emphasis on larger projects and accompanying services; on the other hand, there is a one-stop-shop concept that gives household appliances, white goods, brown goods, and consumer electronics a large place in the product range, which Praktiker already did under German management and which has been continued under Fairfax.

Both concepts are geared to the specific conditions in the country, in particular the renovation backlog in the real estate stock and the tense economic situation, but also the Mediterranean climate. This means that the barbecue and garden furniture departments are given adequate space even in the winter months.

The carpet departments are a very Greek peculiarity: Because Greeks remove their carpets from their homes in the summer, have them cleaned, and often store them externally, the carpet departments either disappear completely or are reduced in size during the hot season.

The Leroy Merlin store in Pireos, south of Athens, is one of the largest of the seven locations in Greece, with an area of 11,000 m². Adapted to the conditions of the property, which is part of a shopping center with neighbors such as Lidl, Jysk, and Intersport, it operates on two floors. (Incidentally, there is even a three-story Leroy Merlin in downtown Athens.) The drive-through was added later – the company took advantage of the opportunity when the directly adjacent space became available.

The Pireos location clearly signals the do-it-with-us approach pursued by Leroy Merlin: the services and advice on offer are communicated in a striking manner. The aim is to enable customers to implement larger projects.

Leroy Merlin has identified bathrooms, kitchens, windows and doors, flooring, and outdoor living as the most important topics in this business. To this…