Swiss DIY stores down 6.8 per cent in the third quarter

Swiss DIY stores recorded a significant drop in sales in the third quarter. With gross sales of around CHF 0.78 bn (EUR 0.84 bn) from July to September, they were 6.8 per cent below the corresponding figure for the previous year. On a like-for-like basis, they recorded a 4.7 per cent decline in sales. Due to the strong second quarter, which saw an increase of 4.8 per cent, the results for the first nine months are not quite as drastic. For this period, sales declined by 1.1 per cent. On a like-for-like basis, sales were almost at the previous year's level, with a decline of 0.2 per cent. The figures are taken from the GfK Total Store Report and were published by the German diy store association BHB.

Among the individual product ranges, the garden tools/irrigation segment saw the most positive development with an increase of 3.8 per cent. In contrast, there were again significant losses in garden furniture (-10.7 per cent) and building components (-4.7 per cent).