The German cooperative Hagebau now has two Spanish retail groups on board as partners
Hornbach
Compact confidential
Hornbach is now testing a small-format and multichannel concept in Germany aimed at do-it-yourself enthusiasts and professionals. The rest of the sector is …
Great Britain and Ireland
In brief
France/Italy/Spain
Simply the best
A survey conducted by USP has found that French, Italian and Spanish consumers all agree that Leroy Merlin offers the best service and shopping environment
USA
There’s more to come
Major American retailers are focusing more effort on web sales. DIY retailers are achieving remarkable growth rates online
The future is British
Everyone’s biggest competitor
Who could have guessed, back in 1995, that a guy selling a few books online, almost out of his garage, would develop into the world's most aggressive…
Saturated markets - Ace Hardware
In the face of giants
Surviving in a large chain dominated and often saturated market: The new concept from Ace Hardware and other examples from the USA
Saturated markets - Switzerland
Holding its own
Switzerland has had DIY stores right from the start and the international competition came later. Different formats and concepts are now fighting to win over …
Saturated markets - Great Britain
World of endless choice
When one talks about the subject of “home”, it’s more about emotion than function. This is also the chance for retailers and suppliers in the fiercely …
Saturated markets - Germany
Germany is the new New York
In spite of really tough competition, Germany is an interesting target for foreign DIY chain operators. In the words of the old Sinatra song, “If I can …
Baumax
A possible sale is looking more likely
Will Baumax be sold or not? Will the brand remain or will it be dissolved? A lot of questions about Austria’s number one DIY retailer
Russia
Lingering uncertainty
The Russian economy is feeling the weight of sanctions. Is that true of the DIY trade too?
Saturated markets - USA and Canada
The housing market is key
The DIY sector in the USA and Canada is benefiting from a reinvigorated housing market. But service and knowledge transfers could be decisive factors in …
Lowe's
R2D2 now selling hardware
– but under a different name: Lowe’s is testing two robots in sales and has called them OSHbot