Upward trend in German DIY sales continues in July

The upward trend in the German DIY sector reported for June continued in July, albeit at a slower pace. This is evident from the monthly statistics on the retail trade in metal goods, paints and coatings, and building and DIY supplies, published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Compared with July 2025, the sector’s turnover rose by 1.6 per cent in real terms. In nominal terms, the increase was 2.6 per cent.

The DIY sector thus performed well in July, bucking the overall trend in the retail sector. This is because the turnover of all retail businesses in Germany fell by 2.5 per cent in real terms compared with the same month last year; in nominal terms, it rose by 0.3 per cent.

The non-food retail sector recorded a real decline of 3.4 per cent and a nominal increase of 0.1 per cent compared with July 2025. Turnover in online and mail-order retail also fell, coming in 0.8 per…