Sales up at Italian home improvement stores

Home improvement stores in Italy recorded total sales amounting to EUR 3.5 bn in the period from January to September 2019. The figure represents an increase of 2.9 per cent over the same period in the previous year. These statistics from market research company GfK were reported in the Italian trade journal Bricomagazine and cover stores with a retail area in excess of 800 m².
According to the GfK survey, the plumbing/heating segment with a share of 16.6 per cent was not only the biggest product category but also had the second-highest growth rate at 7 per cent. The fastest-growing category at 8 per cent was wall coverings/paints/finishes (share of sales: 9.2 per cent). Building materials accounted for the second-highest share of sales (15.6 per cent, up 3 per cent), with the garden segment in third place (11.5 per cent, up 5 per cent).