Today is the last day to secure early bird prices for the 9th Global DIY- Summit, taking place in Berlin from the 14th - 16th of June!

The Global DIY-Summit is the most important and significant event in our calendar, with the whole world�of DIY and home improvement will be coming to Berlin.�

Finland: Kesko Publish 2022 Annual Report.

Last week�Kesko�published their Annual Report for 2022.

The Annual Report,�compromised of five sections (direction, Sustainability, Financial review, Governance, and Data balance sheet)�details the progress made in Kesko's strategy, financial performance and sustainability work, with comprehensive performance indicators.

The report demonstrated that Building and technical trade net sales increased by 9.4% in comparable terms to €4,805.1 million.

Also included is information about Kesko's�new sustainability strategy for 2022–2024, approved in March. This sets clear sustainability targets for the operations of Kesko and its three divisions. The focus areas of the strategy are climate and nature, value chain, people, and good governance.

Find the report in full

www.kesko.fi/en

Italy: Leroy Merlin Garden Opens in Cagliari.

Expectations were high for the first Leroy Merlin store entirely dedicated to gardens which opened on March 1 in Elmas, just outside of Cagliari.�

The Store offers 2,000m2 of�internal exhibition space and 1,000m2 of external area nad 1700m2 dedicated to logistics and the supply chain.�

According to Giulia Arrigoni, "The shop is beautiful, in the sense that it is aesthetically pleasing, with a path that is not obligatory but which invites you to visit it�following a sequence dictated by the assortment�, divided according to an obvious product breakdown, but substantially�divided into four macro-sectors�: a first highly inspirational/decorative , a second more technical and the third dedicated to the world of design, according to a common line for the entire store which is to set the product.�Finally there is online."
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www.diyandgarden.com

South America:�Cencosud S.A. Reports Earnings Results for the Full Year Ended December 31, 2022.

Cencosud S.A, the�multinational and multi-format retail company, recently published their earnings results for the full year ended December 31, 2022 and the forth quater.�

Cencosud operate the Easy home improvement stores�in three Latin American countries: Argentina, with 42 stores;�Colombia with 10 and Chile with 35.�

The report showed that in 12M22�the total revenues of the home improvement channel were 1,759,110�CLP million,�852,753 of which from Chile,�811,450 from Argentina and�94,907 from Colombia.�

Furthermore, the report also demonstrated that same store sales in the home improvement sector was up�27.5% and online penetration was at�10.4%.�

Read the report in full

www.cencosud.com

Australia:�Bunnings Launches Biggest Product Expansion in Decades.

In its largest category expansion since introducing kitchens nearly two decades ago, Wesfarmers-owned hardware giant Bunnings will launch a specialty pet-care department offering items ranging from food to toys and bowls for cats, dogs and birds.

The department will launch next month and include close to 1000 new items in a major expansion of its current offering of kennels, mats, bedding and pet doors, as Bunnings seeks a larger slice of the fast-growing $10 billion specialty pet sector.

“The hallmark of Bunnings’ success over the years has to do with being very focused on the things where it believes it can add value, and I think convenience, price and range on an assortment are things that are very much at the core of Bunnings,” Mike Schneider, Bunnings Managing Director, said. “The challenge of services is the ability to execute them at scale.”
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www.afr.com

Global: First Insights into the Home Improvement Report Worldwide.

This year, a new study on the worldwide home improvement market will be published. The new�Home Improvement Report Worldwide�is being prepared by the editorial team of�DIY International�at D�hne Verlag in close cooperation with the associations EDRA/GHIN and Hima.

Rainer Strnad, Managing Editor of DIY International, and his colleague and statistics expert Michael Greiner were guests at the virtual Global DIY Summit today to present the new work.

Rainer Strnad provided a glimpse of the initial findings of the report. The growth rates of the DIY companies show a high spread, also because the comparative figures from the previous year are very different due to different lockdown situations. Although most DIY store operators have achieved sales gains, these increases must be viewed against the background of upwardly spiralling inflation rates worldwide. "At the end of the day, it is not real growth in many cases, but merely price- or inflation-driven growth," he said.

A preview of the new�Home Improvement Report Worldwide�was given by Michael Greiner, editor at D�hne Verlag, who is responsible for the new report. "We will have several new chapters in the future report," Greiner explained.

Watch the Session on Demand

www.diysummit.org/

Japan: Kohnan Participate in EV Charging Network Service.

Kohnan has announced that it will participate in a demonstration experiment conducted by Kansai Electric Power to establish an electric vehicle (EV) recharging network service with other major companies.

EV users will make reservations in advance for the use of these spots. Data analysis of driving distances and charger utilization rates during the demonstration will be conducted to identify issues for the introduction of EVs and to verify the sufficiency of the recharging infrastructure.

This is the first EV sharing experiment in Japan that combines quick chargers and regular chargers.
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www.diamond-rm.net/homecenter/

Italy: Buyer Point: The Compact Format for DIY Business.

Buyer Point will take place in Milan on May 25th, an event that involves around 150 European companies interested to find international partners.

The force of Buyer Point is to host the CEOs and owners of companies, the interlocutors with whom it is possible to talk and present companies, which are not able to find during the biggest international fairs.

The exclusive entrance, the benefits offered by the organization, the compact format and the location very close to Milan Linate airport help buyers to optimize their visit.
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www.buyerpoint.it

Japan: Cainz�Awarded in the Well-Being Category.

On March 7, Cainz announced that its "KYT (hazard prediction training) activities were selected for the Gold Award, the highest award in the Well-Being category of the SAFE Consortium Awards (sponsored by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare).

The KYT activity has been conducted for 21 years. KYT activities are hazard (K) prediction (Y) training (T) activities that Cainz has been conducting since April 2009 for approximately 24,000 store employees, including part-time workers.

By regularly learning about hazards that can lead to injury in the workplace, using smartphone terminals and other devices with examples from the past, employees are trained to be able to predict hazards, prevent accidents in stores, and protect the safety of employees.

The SAFE Consortium is made up of companies and organizations that agree with the purpose of the program, which is to make the issue of workplace accidents a personal matter for all stakeholders, including customers and consumers, and to work together to solve the problem.�
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www.diamond-rm.net/homecenter/

Shoptalk Europe: Europe’s Greatest Retail Show!�Ticket offer for EDRA/GHIN Members.

We wanted to share an update from our partners at Shoptalk Europe. Europe’s greatest retail show will take place this 9-11 May, Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.
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Shoptalk Europe is the #1 platform for fueling conversations around the future of retail. 3,500+ decision makers from retailers, brands and retail innovators are expected, with 1 in 3 attendees being C-Level or VP-level. The audience will span 55+ countries for three days of business-critical connections, conversations and insights.
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Content:
Shoptalk Europe's industry-crafted agenda will pack 175+ c-suite speakers revealing the latest retail innovations and how new technologies and business models are changing how consumers discover, shop and buy.�
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Just a few speakers include:�

• Carolin Leiner, VP Tech Enterprise Architecture of Transformation, UX & Organisational Development, Hornbach Baumarkt AG
• Sharla Halvorson, Head of Sustainability, Ingka Centres (Ingka Group)
• Ulrika Biesert, Global People & Culture Manager (CHRO) IKEA Retail (Ingka Group)
• Parag Parekh, Chief Digital Officer, IKEA Retail (Ingka Group)
• Tom Betts, Global Data Director, Kingfisher plc

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DIY Summit Members can benefit:�
As you can see Shoptalk Europe represents an enormous opportunity for our members. There is a great way for retailers and brands to get involved.
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The Hosted Retailers & Brands Programme:�
EDRA/GHIN members could also be eligible for a free ticket and travel reimbursement to join our Hosted Programme. Join the likes of B&Q, Brico Depot, Leroy Merlin, Ikea, Hettich, OBI, Manomano, Hornbach, Tikkurila, Neakaisa, Karcher and more.
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The Hosted Retailers & Brands Programme entitles qualified executives to a free ticket and €650 towards travel and hotel expenses. This is in exchange for taking up to a maximum of 8, 15-minute double opt-in meetings with a select group of solution providers. Double opt-in means we only schedule meetings where both parties agree to meet. You can find more information via the link above, and executives can register for this here.
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The registration deadline for the Hosted Meetings Programme is 6 April. It's proving hugely popular with retailers and brands and capacity is already 80% sold out. So please be quick to sign up.
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Further information:
More details on speakers can be found here.
More details on the agenda can be found here.
Register for the Hosted Programme here.

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www.shoptalkeurope.com

Philippines: Wilcon Sales Buoyed by Renewed Construction Activity.

Double-digit growth in same-store sales resulting from the Philippines' post-pandemic recovery allowed the country's top home improvement retailer Wilcon Depot to record an 18.5 per cent rise in net sales in the fourth quarter. The company disclosed that it generated net sales of 8.84 bn Philippine pesos (PHP, EUR 151.3 mio) from October to December 2022, mainly due a 10.4 per cent rise in comparable sales growth. "Wilcon delivered a strong fourth-quarter performance to cap off a record year for us," said Lorraine Belo-Cincochan, Wilcon President and CEO.

The fourth-quarter contribution raised Wilcon's full-year sales to PHP 33.571 bn, up 22 per cent. Apart from the strong showing at the end of 2022, which saw the opening of three new branches for the company, Wilcon also credited its full-year performance to "the resumption of private construction upon the full opening of the economy from pandemic-related restrictions".
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www.diyinternational.com

Kesko to Acquire the Solar Power System Wholesaler Zenitec Sweden.

Kesko’s subsidiary Onninen has agreed to acquire Zenitec Sweden Ab, a solar power system wholesaler. The acquisition will expand Onninen’s role in the renewables segment in Sweden and thus strengthens Onninen’s position in advancing the green transition.

The Zenitec Sweden acquisition will broaden Onninen’s offering, expertise and customer base in Sweden in the fast-growing renewables market.

Zenitec Sweden Ab focuses on selling solar energy systems to technical wholesale customers. In 2022, the company’s net sales totalled approximately €13 million and it had some 20 employees who specialise in serving and consulting technical trade customers in the quickly growing and developing solar power market.

"The acquisition expands our role in the renewables market in Sweden and further strengthens Onninen’s role in advancing the green transition. We continue executing our growth strategy in building and technical trade, and seek growth both organically and through acquisitions in Northern Europe,” says Jorma Rauhala, President of Kesko’s Building and Technical Trade Division and Deputy CEO.
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www.news.cision.com