Slight increase

At the end of 2008 Bricomarché, the DIY retail channel that is part of the French Mousquetaires Group, had 534 outlets in France that generated sales of € 1.898 bn, which amounts to growth of 0.7 per cent. This means that the company's sales trend remains above the DIY store average in France, which declined by 1.1 per cent in 2008. The company intends to open 70 stores this year, with the aim of achieving a total of 600 in France by the end of the year. What is more, work is currently being done on a new image for the channel. The group has not yet announced any sales figures for the outlets in Poland (45) or Portugal (28).