More than 30 per cent of earnings achieved abroad

According to the quarterly report just published by German DIY store operator Hornbach, 31.4 per cent of the company’s turnover is currently generated outside Germany. The report shows that Hornbach-Baumarkt AG’s sales have increased by 21.2 per cent overall to 533 mio euro and by 3.9 per cent on a like-for-like basis compared with the same period last year. Of the 104 Hornbach DIY stores and garden centres operating across Europe as of 31 May, 79 are in Germany, ten in Austria, eight in Holland including the recently opened store in Nieuwegein, four in the Czech Republic, two in Switzerland and one in Luxemburg. The company says it has recovered from the decline in profits suffered in 2001/2002. The profit before tax and extraordinary earnings for the DIY stores has increased by 41.6 per cent to 32.7 mio euro.