C. Simionato
Research expert covering DIY, home improvement and furniture retail
Get in touch with us nowOver the past years, revenues generated from retail sales in the DIY market have decreased on an annual basis. The most recent figures provided by the Office of National Statistics (UK) demonstrate that in 2018, the DIY and decorating supplies retail revenue was roughly 280 million British Pounds lower than in 2016. In contrast, the revenue of stores specializing in hardware, paints and glass retail saw increasingly better results, with 2018 delivering the highest of the past decade. In the UK, there are over six thousand retail stores specializing in this sub-sector. Among large DIY and home improvement retail brands, Screwfix and B&M have two of the largest store counts, with over 600 stores each.
Since 2008, consumer prices associated with tools and equipment for house and garden increased gradually until 2019.Consumer spending skyrocketed on an annual basis, reaching nearly 6.7 billion British pounds in 2020. The weekly expenditure was especially high for those in upper income groups. A survey conducted on the DIY spending patterns of UK consumers also revealed that London had the highest annual spend per household in the UK.
One very topical development in DIY retail is the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, and the following lockdown and social restriction measures governments took around the world. In the United Kingdom, in the first half of March 2020, online sales of building materials, paints and plants grew to record levels, leading to a year-on-year growth rate of up to 48 percent. The impact of store closures and limited social contact on online DIY sales was even more visible between April and June of 2020. During that period, online revenues of home and leisure retailers, including pet care, home and garden reached growth rates of up to 200 percent year-on-year.
