A breath of optimism again

Last year the German builders' and DIY stores recorded sales of € 17.667 bn, which amounts to 1.4 per cent more than 2004. In like-for-like terms, however, sales were 0.9 per cent down. These are some of the industry statistics published recently by the BHB. They are based on the 2 520 stores with a minimum floorspace of 1 000 m² and a minimum product offer in accordance with the BHB's classification system. "Germany's builders' and DIY stores are again looking to the future with a touch of optimism," is how the association assesses its statistics.
The association further reports that, in particular, the product categories of building materials (plus 15 per cent before adjustment) and chemical products, tiling (just on 10 per cent) and tools/machinery (5 per cent) have experienced disproportionately good development, at times with double-digit growth rates. By contrast, the gardening segment has recorded figures that are 3.3 per cent in the red.
The BHB has recorded a total of 4 392 DIY stores in Germany for 2005. There was again a slight increase in area among stores in the category exceeding 1 000 m² in 2005, resulting in an average size of 5 466 m². The figures show that 68 per cent of the space goes to the core ranges of building and DIY, and the rest of the sales area is available for auxiliary ranges and the garden departments.