New strategy for Baumax

Baumax, an Austrian DIY retailer, is giving itself a new corporate structure and a new business strategy. The key issue of the reform is the introduction of some elements of category management. The Baumax holding company now has three category groups: garden, home and building/technology, as well as a central buying unit. The central category divisions are responsible for all activities concerning customers, while the central buying unit makes decisions on supplier contracts and purchase prices, etc. Nine national companies (with the addition of Austria now, with a newly launched national head office) are subordinate to the holding company. Each has a national CEO and a country category manager. In addition to the core target group of traditional DIYers, Baumax intends to appeal more strongly to the group of small contractors as well. Specialist advisors who are only responsible for sales, in addition to project advisors in the field, are intended to ensure a greater awareness of the company’s services and so increase the sales figures. So far more than 200 new jobs have been filled in this area. What is more, on 1 April Baumax took over “Die Hausprofis”, a company that is responsible for carrying out contractor services.