Hornbach edges above three billion

The DIY and garden stores of the German Hornbach Group increased their sales by 5.8 per cent to € 3.001 bn in the recently completed financial year (to 29 February 2012). This breaks down into € 1.729 bn (plus 5.4 per cent) from the stores in the home market, while € 1.272 bn (plus 6.5 per cent) was generated abroad. The like-for-like increase came to 2.8 per cent overall and 5.8 per cent in Germany.Following three openings in the 2011/2012 financial year, chief executive Albrecht Hornbach announced an acceleration of the rate of new openings. There are plans for up to 15 new-build stores in the next two years, some of which will replace old outlets. Growth will continue to be focussed on the international market.