Construction product groups in Italy down, security and gardening up

The Italian specialist retail sector in the hardware and construction segments presented a mixed picture in the first half of 2026. In its half-yearly statistics, the trade association Assofermet points out that the construction sector continues to feel the impact of the phasing out of government support programmes. The building materials category recorded the sharpest decline compared with the same period last year, at -3.52 per cent. Tools and accessories (-2.33 per cent) and bathroom and sanitary ware (-1.12 per cent) also saw a decline. The hardware sector, at -0.30 per cent, remained only slightly below the corresponding level of the previous year.

The security technology category saw the strongest growth, with an increase of 4.36 per cent. Electrical goods grew by 2.93 per cent. The gardening sector also recorded growth of 1.85 per cent.