German DIY store turnover stays below previous year’s level

As in the other months of 2026, with the exception of March, DIY store turnover in May also remained below the level recorded in the same month of the previous year. Retail sales of metal goods, paints, and building and DIY supplies were down by 4.1 per cent in nominal terms and 5.1 per cent in real terms compared with May 2025. These figures, which are still provisional, have been published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). With a nominal increase of 0.9 per cent and a real rate of change of 0.0 per cent, March has so far been the only month this year in which the sector has not seen a decline in turnover.

The garden and pet trade continued the downward trend seen in previous months in May. Retail sales of flowers, plants, seeds, fertilisers, etc., as recorded by the Federal Statistical Office, were down by 4.0 per cent in nominal terms and 5.7 per cent in real terms compared…