Japan:�DCM and Kanseki Form Capital and Business Alliance.�

DCM Holdings (HD), one of the major home improvement retailers in Japan, announced on July 12 that it�will form a capital and business alliance with Kanseki, which mainly operates home�improvement stores in the prefecture of Tochigi, Japan.�

DCMHD plans to acquire 6.8% of Kanseki's voting rights by subscribing to a third-party�allotment of treasury stock. The amount of acquisition is approximately 900 million�yen.

DCMHD was established in 2006 through the merger of Kama, Daiki, and Homac, and�has expanded through active mergers and acquisitions, including making�Sanwado and Kuroganeya wholly owned subsidiaries in 2003 and 2004, respectively,�and currently operates 670 stores in 37 prefectures.�

However, the company has not opened any stores in Tochigi Prefecture, and has chosen�Kanseki, which operates stores in the main trade area of Tochigi Prefecture, as its�partner. The company hopes to expand its customer base by supplying private-brand�products to Kanseki.

www.nikkei.com

Trade Fair:�Messe Essen Looking Forward to a Successful Security Essen.�

The security industry is booming. Whether technical high-end solutions or highly professional services - almost all sectors reported an increase in turnover last year.

"These are the best preconditions for Security Essen 2022", Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen is pleased to say. "We offer the industry a top-class platform to present new solutions compactly and efficiently to decision-makers, buyers and other experts. Security Essen covers the complete range of the security industry, and does so within short distances."

The focus of the range of products and services is on innovations in the field of electronic and mechanical security technology as well as cyber security, services and fire protection. The fair will be rounded off by an extensive accompanying programme with informative lectures.

Security Essen will be taking place from the 20 to 23 September 2022 in Essen, Germany.�

www.security-essen.de

Sweden:�Byggmax Sales Remain at High Level in 2nd Quarter.�

Byggmax, the DIY and building materials retailer active in Scandinavia, has seen a decrease in sales in Q2 2022 compared to Q2 2021.

According to the company's interim report, net sales between April and June 2022 were SEK 2,546 mio (approximately EUR 240.4 mio). This was 10.1 per cent lower than in the previous year, when net sales in the same period were SEK 2,833 mio. Compared with the same period in 2019, however, net sales in the second quarter of 2022 were still 42 per cent higher.

As reported in a statement by Mattias Ankarberg, president and CEO of Byggmax: "Byggmax Group continued to develop well during the second quarter of the year. Sales and profitability were at a historically very high level, only beaten by the exceptional second quarters during the covid pandemic. In the current market situation, with a more hesitant and particularly more price-conscious consumer, we benefit strongly from our discount position. During the second quarter we set new sales records for both several prioritised product categories and e-commerce, while we continued to take market share."

www.diyinternational.com

Japan:�GooDay Wins Japan DX Grand Prize.�

GooDay, which operates a home improvement outlet chain in northern Kyushu and Yamaguchi rejoin in Japan, has won the Grand Prize in the Large Corporation Category of the 1st Japan Digital Transformation (DX) Awards.

The Japan DX Awards is a contest to discover and share case studies in order to accelerate the promotion of DX in Japan and were given to DX promotion projects undertaken by local governments and private companies, etc.

GooDay's presentation at the finals was with the theme of "GooDay X: A Regional Company's DX Challenge for People," which emphasized that the key to success in DX lies in human resource development, and included a presentation on GooDay's IT, data analysis, human resource development, and the efforts of all staff members.

GooDay’s sister company, Kaho Enterprise, an IT company established due to GooDay's successful track record, was also highly evaluated for its data analysis service "KOX" and DX introduction consulting services.
�

www.diamond-rm.net/homecenter/

Trade Fair:�Light + Building Autumn Edition 2022: Breaking New Ground.�

Light + Building, which will be held in Frankfurt am Main from 2 to 6 October 2022, is the international meeting place for manufacturers from the lighting, electrical engineering, home and building automation and connected security technology sectors.

By combining lighting and networked building technology, the industry is presenting an integrated range of products that makes a decisive contribution to increasing the economic efficiency of buildings, achieving defined climate targets and at the same time increasing the comfort and safety needs of users.

More than 1,300 exhibitors from 46 countries are already lined up for the restart of the lighting and building technology sector in autumn.
�

www.light-building.messefrankfurt.com

USA:�Lowe's Hits Emissions Goal Early

American DIY store operator Lowes has beaten its greenhouse gas emissions goal four years early. By the end of 2021, it had achieved a 42 per cent reduction since 2016, as the company states in its 2021 Corporate Responsibility report. Originally the plan was to reduce scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 40 per cent by the end of 2025. The company also achieved an 11 per cent reduction in total energy consumption in 2021 compared with 2020.�

According to a press release, the company will continue to address key issues facing people and the planet. This mission includes setting a science-based net-zero target by the end of 2022 that will include near- and long-term goals for reducing GHG emissions for Lowe's full value chain.�
�

www.diyinternational.com

Germany:�OBI Team Up with Bringoo to Launch On-demand Delivery.�

OBI Group Holding�have teamed up with with the last-mile delivery startup�Bringoo and launched a pilot for an on-demand delivery service.

Products from the�OBI�assortment can now be delivered directly to the customer’s doorstep within 45 minutes. This not only serves customers in inner cities but also in outer suburbs, allowing them to get their projects done at home or in the garden.

This delivery offer started in Cologne last week, and Berlin is to be added as an additional delivery area at the end of July.�The partnership and service was thought up by the OBI subsidiary "OBI Squared", a special unit of the family company.

"Our task is to bring constant innovation into the company," says Dennis Hornung, who heads the OBI Squared think tank founded last year.

www.handelsblatt.com

Study:�Omnichannel is Seen as the Future of Retailing.�

The majority of European retailers expect a hybrid model of online and offline offerings in the shops of the future. This was stated by 71 percent of the respondents to the Scandit study "The Future of Store Operations".

The biggest challenge cited by 61 percent was the unique position vis-�-vis the competition. 37 percent believe that omnichannel approaches should focus on improving the customer experience. The smart data capture solutions provider surveyed retailers from the DIY, grocery, sports and consumer electronics sectors.

www.diyinternational.com

Germany:�Hornbach Team Up with�43� in Unique Marketing Campaign.�

HORNBACH Baumarkt AG, known internationally for its marketing and imaginative & creative campaigns, have teamed up with the shoe store 43� in unique marketing campaign.�

In Berlin Kreuzberg, Hornbach teamed up with sneaker�store 43� and built a huge "sneaker pool", celebrating with drinks, good music & well-known guests, all tying into the SEEK fashion fair.
�

www.hornbach.de

Board of EDRA/GHIN

Sergio Giroldi EDRA/GHIN President and Group CEO

OBI AG, Germany
Thierry Garnier Group CEO�Kingfisher, UK
Jean-Fran�ois Dubost�President�IHA, World
Murat Gigin Chairman Tekzen, Turkey
Werner de Jager�CEO�Cashbuild, South Africa
Susanne J�ger�Board Member�Hornbach, Germany
Carl-Otto L�venskiold Chairman�L�venskiold-V�ker� AS, Norway
Pascal Malfoy�