Sales in DIY products

Germany overtakes the Brits in online sales

When it comes to the share of DIY products bought online, the German DIYers have overtaken the British.
When it comes to the share of DIY products bought online, the German DIYers have overtaken the British.
11.09.2018

In Germany, the share of DIY products sold online is the highest in Europe. Out of the overall sales volume in the German home improvement market, 11.6 per cent is through the Internet sales channel. This means that German DIYers have overtaken the British who, until now, were seen as the most online-savvy and who most recently purchased 10.6 per cent of their products on the Internet. The European average is 5.7 per cent. These figures from the European Home Improvement Monitor which relate to 2017 have been published by USP Marketing Consultancy.
One reason for the major differences between the countries in Europe has been called the "Amazon effect" by the market researchers. The American online giant has been active in Germany and Great Britain since 1998, longer than in the rest of Europe. They see France as a special case, were Amazon's market entry happened only a short time later. They explain that the customers here are generally more conservative in their purchasing behaviour, and in addition the DIY market leader Leroy Merlin specifically focusses on service and accessibility. However Leroy Merlin is expanding its online channel, and in addition the French marketplace ManoMano is very successful according to USP.
Overall, the online share does not only vary from country to country, but also depending on the product. The product group paint achieved an almost 4 per cent share of online sales, while around 20 per cent of power tools are already sold through the Internet.
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