One per cent increase in Germany

German DIY and home improvement stores increased their gross sales by one per cent up to the end of September compared with the same period last year. According to data from the DIY association BHB, total sales came to € 14.17 bn, while like-for-like sales increased by 0.5 per cent. Sales drivers included the product groups building materials and building chemistry (+3.3 per cent), timber and plastics (+5.1 per cent) and coatings, which were up 6.6 per cent. At the other end of the scale, the wallpaper/flooring/interior decoration product group fell short of the comparable level in the previous year by 9.6 per cent. Sales were also down by 2.9 per cent in the plumbing and heating segment.The forecast of the industry association for the rest of the year is positive. Provided consumer attitudes do not dip significantly in the next few weeks, a growth rate of more than one per cent is possible on an unadjusted retail area.