Russia grows rather more slowly

The Russian DIY market achieved a volume of RUB 890 bn (around € 22.5 bn) in 2012. This amounts to growth of 15.6 per cent year-on-year. Market research company Infoline, which produced these figures, notes that they show a slowing down of the pace of growth for the second year running (2011: 19.25 per cent to RUB 770 bn; 2010: 28 per cent to RUB 640 bn). It also comments that a standstill in the building industry and a mood of uncertainty among consumers are putting the brakes on the dynamic strength of market growth. The increase is down to price increases above all. Nevertheless the total sales volume is already 50 per cent above the pre-crisis level; the Russian market contracted by 12.3 per cent in 2009. The pace of growth turned out somewhat slower again in the first quarter of 2013. Rosbusinessconsult, a consultancy, expects growth rates of 15 to 18 per cent for the years 2013 to 2015. The DIY retailers, too, are expecting further growth. In the opinion of Alexei Jovlev, CEO at the Metrika operator SBR Corporation, the major trading companies will continue to increase their sales in the next few years through further expansion in the course of market consolidation.