New livery on the emerald isle

A new competitor has announced its arrival on the Irish DIY market this coming spring: B&Q will inaugurate the biggest store in Ireland with a retail area of almost 14 000 m² at the Liffey Valley shopping centre. The island’s second B&Q Warehouse is then to be set up at Blanchardstown. According to estimates from Mintel, the Irish DIY market grew by 13 per cent to 546 mio euro in the year 2000. The total number of large-sized stores in the warehouse format is put at over 50, a figure that is set to double over the next two to three years. Unimpressed by the competition from Britain, the leading Irish operators of DIY stores can point to strong sales growth over recent years.