New format in France

The French DIY cooperative organisation Bricomarché intends to introduce a new format to the market this year. The first store to implement the “SPV” concept (Singularisation par vocation – or roughly “uniquely special” is scheduled to be launched at Milly-la-Forêt in late April. It is designed to attract both occasional DIYers and more experienced handymen, and to take local conditions into account as well.The Bricomarché brand, together with the Brico Cash brand, is serviced by ITM Equipement de la maison, which belongs to the Les Mousquetaires Group (Intermarché). Both brands achieved a sales increase of 2.7 per cent in France in 2011, and of 3.0 per cent in Europe. At year’s end the two brands together had a total of 625 sales outlets in Europe, 511 of them in France, 35 in Portugal and 79 in Poland. The cooperative ranks fourth within the industry in France.