German DIY sector sees only nominal growth in August

Following two consistently positive months, the German DIY sector saw only slight nominal growth in August. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), retail sales of metal goods, paints and coatings, and building and DIY supplies were 0.6 per cent higher than in the same month last year, calculated at current prices. In real terms, however, the sector’s turnover was 1.0 per cent below the corresponding figure for the previous year. The statisticians’ monthly reports are, however, based on provisional figures.

According to these figures, the retail sector as a whole recorded a nominal increase in turnover of 2.6 per cent in August compared with August 2025, but a real decrease of 0.4 per cent. In the non-food retail sector, the divergence is even greater: compared with August 2025, turnover fell by 0.8 per cent in real terms but rose by 3.5 per cent in nominal terms.

A slight…