Growth in many segments

In the year 2002 the DIY retail trade in the Netherlands recorded overall sales of 4.067 bn euro, which is 3.2 per cent more than in 2001. According to GfK Benelux, the DIY superstores were able to increase their sales by 4.7 per cent to 2.792 bn euro. Paint and wallpaper retailers likewise managed to notch up an increase in sales, this time of 1.8 per cent for a total of 465 mio euro. By comparison hardware retailers at 412 mio euro sold 0.2 per cent less than in 2001. The remainder of the DIY retail trade, i.e. the small-format neighbourhood stores including Fixet, Hubo and Doeland, generated no more than 405 mio euro in 2002, which was 1.3 per cent less than one year previously.
Overall the individual product categories investigated by GfK Benelux showed positive development, even though some product lines did badly.
Product categories in the Netherlands DIY market(download pdf-file)
Paint was still the biggest item in 2002 with total sales of 451.07 mio euro, which represents 7 per cent growth over the previous year. Power tools likewise notched up growth of 7 per cent (to 112.14 mio euro). Filling compounds achieved the greatest increase, with a sales volume up by 15 per cent to 33.8 mio euro. The category of locks and security likewise grew by 15 per cent (24.83 mio euro), followed by bathroom accessories with an increase of 12 per cent (30.17 mio euro), then taps and waste fittings at 7 per cent (39.21 mio euro).
Wall paints were most in consumers’ favour in the paint category, resulting in a 9 per cent sales increase to 152.12 mio euro. Lacquers, the biggest sellers in this category at a total of 210.8 mio euro, achieved an 8 per cent increase, whereas glazes only managed 3 per cent more for a total of 88.16 mio euro. Consumers were particularly enthusiastic about having their special colours individually mixed by a tinting machine: here sales went up by 10 per cent to 129 mio euro, whereas only 5 per cent more ready-mixed colours were sold (209.26 mio euro).
Once more power drills were the best sellers in the power tool category, accounting for a total of 51.03 mio euro. Angle grinders notched up the greatest sales increase of 15 per cent. Less in demand by comparison were planers (1 per cent up) and routers (0 per cent).
Sealants headed the category of adhesives and sealants, with sales up by 15 per cent (21.02 mio euro), though this result amounted to less than half the sales achieved by adhesives. In the case of fillers and levelling materials, the…