Hefty same-store increase

The 407 stores operating under the same name as the French DIY cooperative group, Mr. Bricolage, achieved gross sales of € 724.7 mio in the first six months of 2003. This amounts to an increase of 24.1 per cent, or 6.5 per cent in like-for-like terms over the first six months of last year. A total of 16 new stores were opened during this same period. Forty-four stores changed over to the Mr. Bricolage name from the B3 and Bricogite formats. Ten outlets were moved or extended. The 157 stores belonging to the Catena channel increased their sales by 6.0 per cent to € 68.9 mio. Also included in the figures are the current 76 centrally-operated stores. These notched up sales of € 122.1 mio, amounting to an increase of 135.7 per cent overall and 6.4 per cent in like-for-like terms. Of these outlets, 69 operate as Mr. Bricolage stores and seven as Catenas.