German DIY markets now strongly in the black after lockdown in 2021

DIY stores in Germany achieved sales of EUR 4.91 bn in the first quarter of 2022. This is 42.2 per cent more than in the same period last year, and 41.0 per cent more on a like-for-like basis. However, according to the German industry association BHB, these figures must be put into perspective: German locations were subject to widespread closure in the lockdown in the starting quarter of 2021.

"Real trends can certainly not be read out of these figures at the moment," BHB managing director Peter Wüst therefore also emphasises. The sword of Damocles caused by the Ukraine effects hangs over all forecasts. The worrying price developments in the procurement of goods and the still serious production and supply chain problems pose daily problems. In other consumer sectors, initial indications suggest that customers are increasingly taking a wait-and-see approach and postponing major investments.

A look at the product ranges compared to the same period last year: In the first quarter, products in the automotive product group (car accessories) were the top sellers (+103.8 per cent), followed by household goods (+88.9 per cent) and electrical accessories (+68.8 per cent). No product group slipped into the red.