When compared to the first quarter of 2019, the relative weakness of the specialist trade is immediately noticeable. In the first three months it had still grown by 4.81 per cent. The plus by the DIY stores at 8.11 per cent however was almost twice as much even then. Overall, growth in the first quarter amounted to 6.87 per cent.
However the development of manufacturers went very much differently than for trade. They made 4.20 per cent less than in the same quarter last year. Business with traditional specialist trade went worst (-5.77 per cent). 2.59 per cent less was made through the generalists, and 1.04 per cent less through the DIY trade.