GERMANY - In Germany, Europe's biggest home improvement market, DIY stores will remain closed until the end of January.
The lockdown imposed in December should have ended last Monday, 11 January. But as infection rates remain high, the federal government and federal states have extended the restrictions, which apply to all retail sectors apart from food shops, drugstores and pharmacies.
In almost all federal states (exception: Saxony), however, DIY stores are allowed to offer Click & Collect options.
The German DIY and home improvement sector is dynamic and energetic, with stores enjoying popularity and demand among consumers. In fact, the number of people who sometimes engage in DIY activities in their leisure time has been growing. Home improvement retail as such is expected to generate increasing revenues in the 2020s. According to 2019 data, OBI, Bauhaus and Hornbach were the most popular DIY and home improvement stores in Germany.
“We can count ourselves very lucky with our business performance to date. At the end of the day, this also reflects the marked change in consumer behavior since the onset of the pandemic. Making sure that life in your own four walls is as attractive and safe as possible has become a key focus. There is a great need for DIY products and advice – not just because a tap is dripping or an electric
appliance is broken and needs repairing, but because home improvement offers a meaningful occupation when consumers are in crisis mode and have few alternatives available”, explains Albrecht Hornbach, CEO of Hornbach Management AG. The hard lockdown imposed in Germany and other countries in December had once again clearly revealed people’s great need for DIY. According to Hornbach, the announcement that DIY stores would close to the general public had triggered a wave of last-minute purchases. “We nevertheless expect a backlog of demand to build up in households. Politicians should consider allowing system-relevant DIY stores and garden centers to meet their public supply responsibilities, while complying with the highest safety standards, in the foreseeable future once again”, remarks Albrecht Hornbach.
