French DIY stores posted a 1.4% decrease in sales last year compared to 2022. The French DIY retailer and manufacturer associations FMB and Inoha presented the industry statistics for 2023 in Paris on Friday. The 14 distribution chains included in the statistics have a total turnover of 23,847 million euros. The Adéo group's brands Leroy-Merlant (39%), Weldam (5%) and Bricomant (4%) account for 48.0% of this figure, or 11.4 billion euros. The British Kingfisher group, together with Castorama (13%) and Brico Dépot (12%), generated a turnover of 5.9 billion euros in France, accounting for 24.7% of market turnover. It is followed by the Les Mousquetaires group with a share of 13.7% and the Mister Bricolage group with a market share of 8.3%.
French DIY store operators realized 5.3% of their total sales through e-commerce, an increase of 0.5 percentage points.
Of the 11 product groups surveyed, only four saw an increase compared to 2022: ironmongery and wall and floor coverings increased by just 0.1%, while sanitary, bathroom and kitchen supplies recorded an increase of 0.7%. The relatively high growth of 2.3% for paints and adhesives is misleading in that this category has not yet reached the levels of 2020 and 2021. However, the association points out that, with the exception of the decoration category, all product groups significantly surpassed their 2019 figures, with building materials up by 33%. According to the association, this also reflects the growing expertise of DIY enthusiasts who, in the age of coronavirus, first tried smaller and then larger projects.
Although 2023 was a year of decline, “the DIY market for large DIY stores remains strong,” said Matthieu Pivin, president of FMB, analysing the figures.For Jean-Luc Guery, president of Inoha, these figures show that the French still want to take care of their home, despite inflation affecting purchasing power.