DIY stores gain ground once more as shopping channel

DIY stores remain the most frequently used shopping channel by far for home improvement products in Europe and their stock has risen once again following downturns in previous years. This was the verdict for the third quarter of the European Home Improvement Monitor, for which the Dutch USP Marketing Consultancy is responsible. According to this, 48.7 per cent of all purchases of such products were transacted in DIY stores. Since reaching a value of 49.8 per cent in 2014, this share has declined and was 46.3 per cent in 2016.
As expected, online shopping has grown continuously, recently accounting on average for 8.0 per cent of all purchases in Europe.  By comparison, shopping on the Internet was responsible for 4.8 per cent of purchases in 2014.
However, significant differences exist between the individual countries, with the front runners Germany and Great Britain attaining online shopping values of over ten per cent.
At the same time, the share of the speciality trade varies considerably. While it has fallen to below ten per cent on average in Europe, it is above this figure in Belgium, Spain and Italy.