DIY stores in Austria see 2.1 per cent drop in sales

DIY stores in Austria ended the third quarter with a 2.1 per cent decline in sales. Gross sales volume amounted to around EUR 0.80 bn. Because the second quarter had seen a significant increase in sales of 6.3 per cent, the nine-month balance remains positive: with total sales of EUR 2.4 bn, this represents growth of 1.2 per cent compared to the first three quarters of 2024. These figures from the GfK Total Store Report were published by the German diy store association BHB.

The association reports that products in the wood segment were the clear favourites, growing by 9.5 per cent in the first nine months compared to the same period last year. There was also growth in construction chemicals/building materials (+6.8 per cent) and automotive (+6.6 per cent). The biggest losses were recorded in the other segment, which fell by 19.7 per cent. Austrians also spent less on leisure and seasonal goods (-7.7 per cent). The relatively high inflation rate in Austria must be taken into account when evaluating the figures.