Holding steady worldwide

The Bosch Power Tools Division achieved worldwide sales of € 4.0 bn in 2013, just as in the previous year. That was growth of three per cent in local currency. At the same time the market as a whole increased by three per cent and now boasts a volume of € 25.4 bn. “Even though our growth was severely affected by currency fluctuations in important regions in 2013, from a worldwide per­spective we are still number one in the power tools, accessories and measuring tools segments, while for garden tools we place second,” said division president Henning von Boxberg at the annual press conference in Leinfelden. The division intends to expand still further in 2014 through focusing on strategic growth areas such as cordless technology, measuring technology and accessories, while also concentrating on emerging markets. The number of employees remained constant last year, with a total of some 19 000 at 37 locations across the world.
Strong growth in local currency was achieved by Bosch Power Tools above all in Latin America, where the increase came to twelve per cent. Growth amounted to some 14 per cent in Russia. “Launching products that are tailored to the needs of users in emerging markets and taking into consideration the purchasing power in these markets has enabled us to succeed in winning market share,” emphasized von Boxberg. In contrast to the emerging markets, the European market failed to record any growth in 2013. The important sub-market for portable power tools and benchtop tools was even one per cent down, mainly caused by the trend in southern Europe. However, Bosch Power Tools expects the current year to show a slight recovery here.

Sales in Asia performed well, with an increase of five per cent in spite of the economic slowdown in China. Double-digit growth rates were achieved in many countries including India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Sales in North America went down by three per cent. However, all other regions saw positive progress.
In the DIY segment Bosch showed a more positive development than the market. “The number of power tools sold in Germany grew by two per cent to 3.3 mio units, while sales value increased by three per cent to € 248 mio,” said Bernd Müller, sales director Germany, Austria and…