Ambitious goals for expansion

In the months of July and August the German DIY and builders' merchant stores recorded sales as much as seven per cent (gross) down on the same period last year. This has led the BHB to speak of a "damper for the DIY trade" in a press release. By contrast, overall growth from January to April 2007 amounted to 8.8 per cent, when the ideal gardening weather in the spring provided a hefty increase in sales. As the year proceeded, however, it became evident that this boom had been no more that a fleeting manifestation, which for a few weeks was able to conceal the difficult underlying situation that confronts DIY retailers.