Distance selling, which was practised by telephone, online shop and WhatsApp, has been decisive, the report continues. Sales of EUR 160.1 mio were made through these ordering channels, around three times as much as in the previous year. In the online shop alone, 91 million orders and thus 51.9 per cent more were counted.
Only three days after the closure of the stores due to the pandemic in spring, Leroy Merlin started its telephone sales, Alain Ryckeboer, CEO of Leroy Merlin España, notes when looking back. 460 000 orders to a value of EUR 69.4 mio were processed through this channel.
For 2021, Ryckeboer has announced investments to the amount of EUR 108 mio, which are primarily to continue to flow into the expansion and redesign of the branch network (EUR 67.4 mio), as well as into technology and the supply chain (EUR 27.5 mio). In this respect, Leroy Merlin wants to open three new large-scale stores in Spain and convert 17 Aki stores to the Leroy Merlin brand.