Cautious optimism for the German DIY sector

All in all the DIY industry – cumulatively across all channels of distribution – generated sales of € 36.56 bn in the year 2001, which puts the result 0.5 per cent above the previous year’s figure. An uneven picture resulted these channels of distribution were considered individually: Whereas the market volume of the specialist building, DIY and garden stores continued to move on the previous year’s level at € 21.47 bn, the retail timber trade succeeded in increasing sales by 1.9 per cent. Sales figures for the organised building materials trade and the independent garden centres, amounting to € 7.21 bn and € 0.77 bn respectively, remain unchanged at the previous year’s level. These figures have been released by the BHB (Federal Association of German DIY, Building and Garten Stores), which commissions them on a monthly basis from the GfK market research company.