Strong increase in sales at Hornbach

The DIY store and garden centre operator Hornbach increased its net sales by 6.6 per cent to just under € 1.3 bn in the first half of the 2005/2006 financial year. On a like-for-like basis the net revenue of the 121 DIY stores and garden centres increased by 0.8 per cent in the first six months of the year, thanks to a pleasing second quarter (+2.1 per cent). Hornbach intends to open eight new stores by the end of the financial year (28 February 2006).