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2|2014

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DIY Internati onal

Regional report Spain

Recovering after the crisis

Spain

More DIY, but not more sales

Fernando Colorado Terol, managing director of the ADFB, a Spanish DIY retailer association, reports on the current situation. Consumers are tackling more projects, but also looking round for lower prices
How have the Spanish DIY retailers been impacted by the crisis? The impact of the crisis during these four or five years has been a decline in sales of seven to eight per cent. Some small retailers have closed down and other mediumsized retailers have adjusted their structures to become more efficient. The European Home Improvement Monitor found that the Spanish are among the most dedicated DIYers in Europe. Why do the Spanish love DIY? It is an effect of the crisis. Today the Spanish consumer tries to carry out small repairs himself before calling a professional. For this reason there has been a surge of DIY activity that has not been translated into sales because these consumers seek lower prices. Besides DIY retailers there are concurrent sales channels involved in the DIY market, for example hardware stores, department stores and garden centres. What specific advantages can DIY stores offer to Spanish customers? The different channels have different objectives and customer bases, and satisfy different customer needs. DIY stores have a wider choice of products suitable for all consumers and a greater number of stores. These are the main advantages of DIY stores compared to other specialty stores. How important is the garden market for Spanish DIY retailers? The garden market is very important to the many second homes with gardens that exist in our country. We may be talking about 30 per cent of annual turnover. What role do women play as customers and decisionmakers when it comes to DIY purchases? In recent years the role of women has grown in importance. The emancipation of women, on the other hand, has increased the number of single-parent families and resulted in changes to the social structure. Women are not only making the decision to purchase, but also doing it themselves. We may be talking about 60 per cent of total purchases.

Bricoking is one of the top five in Spanish DIY retailing.

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One of the main trends that are discussed in the European and international DIY industry is ecommerce. How important are online shops for Spanish DIY retailers? E-commerce in Spain is a very important topic for DIY distributors. Last year the two major distributors, Leroy Merlin and Bricor, opened their online stores. They are aware that it is an important trade and efforts are being made to keep up, but we have a long way to go in Spain in terms of ecommerce DIY.

What will the main concepts be for home improvement retailing in the future? The main concepts for home improvement retailing in the future will be e-commerce, a greater understanding of customers needs, product training for customers and good sales service.
1 The Aki chain, number three in the market,

belongs to the French Groupe Adeo.

2 A look inside a Bricoking store: the paint department 3 the timber section and floor coverings. 4 Currently the Leroy Merlin chain has 58 branches in Spain. 5 Leroy Merlin, the distribution channel operated by the

French Groupe Adeo, is market leader in Spain.

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