Positive balance for Obi

Obi achieved total sales of € 5.78 bn in the 2006/2007 financial year (to 30 June 2007), which amounts to an increase of 9.4 per cent on the previous year's result. By the end of the financial year Obi had a total of 502 DIY stores in ten countries, 336 of them in Germany. The foreign share of sales came to 37.2 per cent. The combined number of employees rose by 3.5 per cent over the previous year to 38 372. More than half of the workforce (64.3 per cent) was employed in Germany. In the home market of Germany Obi was once again able to assert its leadership with sales revenue of € 3.63 bn and growth of 3.6 per cent. It was announced at the press conference on 10 October 2007 that the football World Cup, for which Obi was involved as the national sponsor, further enhanced customer awareness of the company. According to a survey by the market research institute Infratest, 98 per cent of Germans are familiar with Obi. The company believes it is well prepared for the predatory competition in DIY retailing. In the next financial year Obi is going to further expand its network of branches at home and abroad. The most attractive growth opportunities are felt to be in eastern Europe. The aim is to secure the leading position in these dynamic growth markets at an early stage. The company's market entry into Ukraine is planned for 2008. This will be the twelfth country with an Obi presence, following the launch in Croatia in the summer of 2007.