Domestic better than international

In 2009 the 20 biggest German DIY retailers were able to increase their combined sales (domestic and foreign stores) by € 110 mio to € 27.5 bn (0.4 per cent). However, since retail area grew disproportionately by 600 000 m² (4.1 per cent) over this same period, comparable sales actually fell by 3.3 per cent, according to figures announced by Dähne Verlag. Whereas in 2008 the DIY retail sales achieved by the top 20 companies in Germany had fallen by 1.2 per cent in absolute terms, or 3.2 per cent like-for-like, 2009 saw the figures improve to +1.8 per cent (absolute) and -0.3 per cent (like-for-like). Things looked different abroad: whereas international sales in 2008 rose by more than ten per cent to € 7.84 bn in absolute terms (+5.9 per cent like-for-like), in 2009 they recorded a fall of € 260 mio (-3.3 per cent absolute and -8 per cent like-for-like) to a total of € 7.58 bn.
Our specialist magazine DIY International will be publishing a detailed report on the German DIY retail statistics in its April issue 2/2010.