Growth for the DIY market in France

The French manufacturers' association, Unibal, has published its most recent study on the French DIY market 2005. This reveals that the sector's total sales rose by 4.4 per cent over 2004 to € 19.15 bn. This was despite the massive price campaigns, especially involving goods from China, which put pressure on the margins. At 5.4 per cent the DIY stores recorded the greatest sales growth, followed by builders' merchants (+3.5 per cent) and the super- and hypermarkets at +1.1 per cent. By contrast, the tendency was negative for the traditional retail segment, where Unibal reveals a 2 per cent sales decline.
You can find a detailed article on the development of the French DIY market in DIY in Europe 9-10/06 as part of the country report on France.