German industry figures up slightly

Sales by the German DIY trade increased in the first three quarters of 2005 by one per cent to € 13.4 bn compared with the same period in the previous year. However, like-for-like sales were down 0.8 per cent, according to the BHB. The biggest growth from January to September was 13.9 per cent in the building materials segment, while leisure and handicrafts experienced the sharpest drop of 11.6 per cent. Plant sales also fell by a relatively large 7.3 per cent, resulting in a decline of 3.5 per cent in the gardening sector as a whole.