Low-level DIY culture

Although a number of DIY chains – some of them from Europe – have already been operating in Brazil for some time now, the country’s DIY sector is still seen as definitely worth developing much further. This is the attitude adopted by Tesa, the German adhesive-tape specialist, which is currently intensifying its involvement in this market. “Brazilians mainly employ tradesmen to carry out extensions or repairs in and around the home,” says Alexander Bochert, a member of the Tesa management team with responsibility for consumer business worldwide. “That is partly a result of the comparatively reasonable cost of employing a tradesman, but also of the lack of any developed do-it-yourself tradition.” Consequently even the tools for more comprehensive DIY activities are lacking in many households. That is why some Brazilian DIY stores employ their own tradesmen so they can offer customers an installation service for their purchases. That is not at all a bad scenario for a supplier like Tesa. “Customers hardly need any tools for our adhesive products, so tend to be more confident about using them than about drilling or hammering,” says Alexander Bochert. The company provides the DIY stores with support of various kinds: offering short instruction sessions for customers, making provision for more advisory staff and designing the POS in such a way that customers can find product information on the shelves. At present the DIY retail format is not yet as strong as the traditional wholesale and specialist trade side, “but is continuing to develop steadily,” in the words of Matthias Schumacher, director international sales and key account management. “For Tesa that means managing both channels in parallel and providing them with the appropriate standard ranges as well as promotions.” The manufacturer is already present in the Brazilian marketplace with its classic product lines from the areas of masking tapes, repairing and double-side tapes, and Powerstrips as well. The launch of other Tesa product ranges, Powerbutton, Eco-Logo, Powerbond Ultra Strong and Auto, is now on the cards. In this context the aspects of quality and Made in Germany have a role to play in marketing for the German supplier, since the buying habits of Brazilians differ very little from the behaviour of Germans, in the opinion of Alexander Bochert. “If they are convinced of a certain product’s quality and the price seems to them to be right, then they will happily spend money on it,” he maintains…