Obi arrives in Greece

Obi has announced that it is to enter the Greek market. The first stores plus garden centres are expected to open from the end of 2009 onwards. Obi’s local partner is the Sato Group, which is involved in furniture manufacture and retailing. In the long term, Obi is aiming for market leadership in Greece and intends to operate nationwide in retail areas of between 6 000 and 10 000 m². Its German competitor, Praktiker, has been operating in Greece since 1991 and had ten stores there at the end of 2007, with a total retail area of 63 000 m². France’s Leroy Merlin chain currently operates one DIY store in Athens.