Almost one-third contributed abroad

Hornbach-Baumarkt AG achieved an 18 per cent leap in sales in the 2003/2004 financial year (to 29 February 2004). The group’s 110 DIY stores recorded a turnover of € 1.923 bn to the cut-off date. The increase for all stores in like-for-like terms came to 5.2 per cent, and 4.4 per cent in Germany. The international stores contributed almost one-third (32 per cent) of total turnover. Pre-tax income increased by 75 per cent to € 44 mio. According to information provided by this German DIY retailer, whose stores average 10 142 m² in size, it is the only DIY group in Europe to have branches with an average retail area in excess of 10 000 m².
Sales in the amount of € 2.057 bn at the holding company saw even stronger growth of 20 per cent. However, earnings were affected adversely by losses accumulated by Baustoff Union, with 20 branches that operate in Germany alone, and the four Lafiora garden centres, so that the pre-tax group result was 32 per cent higher than the figure from the preceding financial year.