Premiere of pan-European DIY Forum

Delegates from both the retail and manufacturing sectors congregated in the Radisson Hotel at the end of Sep-
tember to consider how and in what direction the DIY industry will develop in the future. Although major European retail groups such as Cas-
torama, B&Q and Brico International were represented, none of the main German DIY store operators turned up in Brussels.
Gilles Caille opened the Forum with a survey of globalisation of the DIY sector, commenting on the influence of North America and Europe: “North America and Europe account for 87.5 per cent of the global market, with 56.5 per cent of sales being generated by North America and 31 per cent by Europe.” Although the American market was considerably larger, European DIY retailers were more actively involved in the international scene. 70 per cent of European DIY sales, totalling 109 bn euro, are realised in Britain, Germany, France and Belgium, and other European countries offer significant growth potential.
The two-day Forum focused on three central themes: Whether Europe was dictating the globalisation of the DIY market, was the industry ready for tomorrow’s consumer and how to find fast-track solutions.
The first European Fediyma Forum was a major success, attracting over 320 delegates.
The speakers, who included Steve Gilman, international director at B&Q, Yvon Jolivet, vice-president of marketing, merchandising and logistics at Leroy Merlin, and Patricia Decoene, general manager of Brico International, introduced their companies and strategies. The British DIY chain B&Q has spread its distribution operation to particularly far-flung regions and now operates stores in China and Taiwan. Gilman outlined the huge potential offered by the Asian market for retailers and manufacturers alike, with Chinese consumers demanding more than just cheap, home-grown products. Gilman pointed to the opportunities open to European suppliers: “The prospects are good for European manufacturers of quality products. The Chinese are ready to pay for quality.”
As well as delegates from the retail sector, representatives of large manufacturing companies such as Bosch, Dyrup and Henkel along with academics and retail consultants had also been invited to address the international audience, and a broad spectrum of information on the development of the industry up to 2010 was the result. What was in store for retailers and manufacturers, how would e-commerce change structures and would it threaten installed…