DIY store sales decline in Austria and Switzerland

In Austria and Switzerland, DIY and garden stores also reported lower sales in the first quarter than in the same period last year. In Austria, industry sales fell by 2.0 per cent year-on-year to EUR 631.7 bn.

Leisure/seasonal goods suffered significant losses (-20.9 per cent), and sales of plants also declined due to unfavourable weather conditions (-14.3 per cent); however, some good growth was also seen in the automotive and technology/office/entertainment segments (both +8.5 per cent), according to the German trade association, which published the figures from the GfK Total Store Report.

DIY stores in Switzerland generated sales of CHF 763.0 bn, down 2.7 per cent on the first three months of 2024. Like-for-like sales fell by 2.5 per cent.

However, there is also growth in the Swiss DIY sector: furniture sales were up 4.6 per cent, and paints/painting accessories reported an increase of…