Open to cooperative agreements

Statements from Klaus Lutz, chairman of the board, reveal that the German Baywa group will "on no account get rid of" its own DIY division. The search is on for a lasting, workable concept for improving its competitive position. The company is open to cooperative arrangements, but retaining the identity of its own line is a must. For the first three months of 2009 the company announces a sales decline of 15.5 per cent to an overall total of € 1.6 bn. Sales in the building segment declined by 8.5 per cent to € 270 mio. Sales in the builders' merchant segment were 12 per cent down, while the Baywa DIY stores were able to maintain their sales at last year's level of around € 100 mio.