Plus 8.2 per cent in the second quarter saves the first half of the year for the industry

The DIY store trade in Germany made total gross sales of EUR 9.76 bn in the first half of 2018, thus gaining an increase in sales of 1.7 per cent compared to the previous year. The second quarter was strongest in sales and mainly responsible for the positive sector report for the middle of the year, explains the German industry association BHB its current market figures, because from April to June sales compared to the same period last year rose by 8.2 per cent to EUR 6.00 bn.
In the first six months the DIY store trade made a like-for-like increase in sales of 1.4 per cent. The months April (EUR 2.25 bn/+22.0 per cent), May (EUR 2.00 bn/+1.1 per cent) and June (EUR 1.75 bn/+1.6 per cent) were the strongest in sales. The like-for-like increase in the second quarter amounted to 7.9 per cent. In the first three months the industry had to record a drop in sales of 7.1 per cent, in particular with regard to the bad March weather and a strong quarter in the previous year.
When taking a look at the development in assortments in the first half of the year, the German DIY stores recorded the highest absolute sales with construction chemicals/construction material (EUR 947.3 mio), sanitary/heating goods (EUR 843.2 mio), garden equipment (EUR 814.3 mio), living greenery (EUR 639.6 mio) and coating materials/painting accessories (EUR 638.8 mio). Thus, the garden ranges in particular were once again decisive for the good result at the middle of the year: with total gross sales of EUR 2.73 bn - living greenery (EUR 639.6 mio), garden equipment/irrigation and drainage (EUR 636.5 mio), garden equipment (EUR 814.3 mio), garden furniture (EUR 232.8 mio) and garden chemicals/soils/seeds (EUR 403.6 mio) - the greenery market made up around 27.9 per cent of total sales at DIY stores in the first half of the year.