Green light for large-format stores in Austria

The shopping centre ordinance was rescinded by the Austrian constitutional court with effect from 1 July. This ordinance, initiated …

Opportunity for Turkish hardware retailers

The newly developed franchise system known as Vidahaustore offers Turkish hardware retailers a competitive concept and provides them with…

Independent and effective

Punto Brico, the Italian buying cooperative, backs entrepreneurial freedom for its members together with regionally differentiated product mixes

Anniversary for EK Großeinkauf

The Bielefeld-based cooperative is making company history. Founded in 1925, this year the self-styled “leading voluntary group in the German hardware…

Another potential takeover candidate

The DIY retail market is in a state of flux. Focus Do It All has taken over Wickes and now the Sainsbury supermarket group wants to sell its …

Focus Do It All buys Wickes

After a tough struggle that went on for months Focus Do It All, the third largest DIY superstore group in the UK, finally succeeded in buying Wickes …

Major question marks

Obi: 2004/2005 figures

The German market leader Obi operates DIY stores in nine European countries. Its 13 outlets in China have now been sold to Kingfisher

Growth for the paint markets

In Central and Eastern Europe paint demand will grow by 7.4 per cent a year over the next five years

DIY stores in Europe: key figures

The highest number of inhabitants per DIY store is to be found in Turkey, the lowest number in Norway

UK: Is the bubble bursting?

For the present, the years of tremendous growth seem to be over for the UK DIY market

Austria, the land of detached houses

The owners of one-or two-family houses spend considerably more on products specific to DIYand garden stores than those who live in flats

Homebase more than holds its ground

The British DIY retailer, Homebase, has strengthened its position in the marketplace since it began to operate under the umbrella of the Argos …

Will the Sears/Kmart merger succeed?

Can two weak retailers, both with many old stores in poor locations and low rates of growth, become powerful and successful as the result of a …