German DIY sector ends first quarter in the red

The German DIY sector also ended March with a year-on-year decline in turnover. As January (-0.9 per cent in real terms) and February (-4.3 per cent) were also down, the first quarter as a whole remains below the corresponding level of the previous year. This is according to preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). According to these figures, the retail trade in metal goods, paints and coatings, and building and DIY supplies recorded a 2.7 per cent decline in real terms and a 1.7 per cent decline in nominal terms in March compared with the same month last year.

Total retail turnover in Germany fell by 2.0 per cent in real terms in March compared with March 2025. In nominal terms, the decline was 0.5 per cent.

The garden and pet trade in Germany also failed to recover in March. Turnover is 3.4 per cent lower in nominal terms and 5.1 per cent lower in real terms…