The acquisition of Bricorama by Bricomarché is complete

The takeover of the French DIY store group Bricorama by the rival Bricomarché is perfect. The contracts were signed in the first week of January. This shifts the powers in the top ten of France's home improvement industry.
In concrete terms, ITM Équipement de la Maison, a subsidiary of the retail group Les Mousquetaires and operator of the sales channel Bricomarché and Brico Cash, has taken over Bricorama's French and Spanish activities as well as its sourcing company in Asia. This makes the company the third largest DIY store operator in France. It speaks of the fact that the store portfolios complement each other both in terms of conceptional and geographical orientation, because the 506 Bricomarché and Brico Cash stores are in more rural regions or on the outskirts of towns, while the 170 Bricorama stores, on the other hand, are in more urban catchment areas.
The two former rivals also previously fought for members as franchisors. The ITM statement suggests that medium-sized businesses will also be strengthened by this merger. "The operation strengthens the dynamics of independent operators in the local supplier business compared with the two market leader chains," says Didier Duhaupand, Président du Groupement Les Mousquetaires.
A comprehensive representation of the French market can be found in the annual "Statistics Home Improvement Retail Europe" volume which is published by Dähne Verlag. The "DIY Retailers worldwide" trade directory, which is also published by Dähne Verlag, provides detailed information on the individual DIY store groups. Information and orders at www.daehne.com or contact Sandra Schwald at s.schwald@daehne.de.