Entry into e-commerce

The French DIY group Mr. Bricolage is getting into the online business. It has now acquired 75 per cent of Le Jardin de Catherine, an e-commerce company with two online shops, www.le-jardin-de-catherine.com and www.la-maison-de-catherine.com. It paid € 11.250 mio for the new subsidiary, which reports annual sales amounting to some € 25 mio. The company offers a range of 7 500 articles and has recently seen growth of 40 per cent. The professed aim of Mr. Bricolage is to set up a multi-channel sales operation that will link up with the group’s existing DIY stores.