German DIY retailers satisfied with first half of 2014

In the first six months of 2014 the DIY trade in Germany recorded total gross sales of € 9.19 bn. Sales were thus down generally by 3.7 per cent, but up 11.8 per cent on a comparable store area. The latest market figures were announced by the DIY trade association Handelsverband Heimwerken, Bauen und Garten e. V. (BHB) on 17 September. A comparison of the general trend for all companies, not including the insolvent Praktiker Group, shows an increase of 14.1 per cent compared with the first half of 2013. In the first half of 2014, sales were strongest in the months of April (€ 1.85 bn), May (€ 1.78 bn) and March (€ 1.75 bn). The first quarter of 2014 proved especially positive with sales of € 4.09 bn (+ 8.5 per cent). Garden ranges in particular acted as growth drivers, although markets lagged behind the previous year’s figures in the second quarter due to the cool temperatures at the end of April and in May. With regard to range trends, German DIY stores recorded high revenues in absolute terms in the construction chemicals/building materials segment (€ 834.8 mio), plumbing and heating products (€ 766.9 mio), garden equipment (€ 681.0 mio), paint and coatings/painting accessories (€ 645.8 mio), electricals (€ 573.6 mio) and plants and greenery (€ 556.8 mio). The garden ranges boosted growth strongly here. The association and the sector as a whole are optimistic with regard to the remainder of the financial year.