The DIY sector is still in the red

Even the late summer's conciliatory end was unable to reverse the trend: after three quarters, DIY sales in Germany remain in the red, although it could have been even more negative, as BHB, the German trade association for DIY, building and gardening, emphasises. The industry experts see the reasons for this in the ongoing consumer restraint, long periods of bad weather and difficult conditions, particularly in the construction-related trades, which have caused shopping baskets to shrink. The sector recorded a cumulative minus of 1.4 per cent after nine months compared to the same period last year; like-for-like, the figure is -1.0 per cent. In Switzerland, the decline is more pronounced at 4.2 per cent (-3.5 per cent). In Austria, sales remain stable with a minimal increase of 0.5 per cent.

“In view of the still difficult economic conditions, with high levels of decline in many areas of…