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The year 2023 is confirmed as the year of Gds Brico&Garden’s network downsizing, with the change from just under 800 stores – 797 to be exact – to 766 as of December 31, 2023.
This is 31 fewer stores; however, rather than an actual contraction, we can speak of the final resolution of business situations that had already been critical or stalled for several years. Analysis of the second half of 2023 returns us to a still rather turbulent situation that contributes to the negative balance compared to last 2022.
This past six months saw 11 openings versus 17 closures and a negative balance of 6 stores. On an annual basis, once again, it is affiliation that suffers and in one year loses 20 outlets of which only 7 in the last survey. However, in the last six months it is the direct network that has fared the worst, with 14 closures but at least 13 openings
In this round, Evoluzione Brico (+3), Brico io (+2), Tecnomat (+1), FDT (+1) signs are growing, while a separate discussion should be made for Leroy Merlin, which in 2023 inaugurated a new city format with 3 openings in Milan, Rome, and Florence, which we wanted to include within the monitoring.
On the other hand, realities such as the Bricofer Group (between Bricofer, Self and Ottimax -9 stores), Bricocenter and Brigros (-2), and finally Brico Ok, Bricolife and OBI (-1) end the year with a negative balance.
The number of outlets for the Brico Casa Deodato, Bricomarket, Bricoterm, Bricoware, Brikidea, Lo Gatto, Progress and Utility brands remains unchanged. Pronto Hobby also does not increase the number of stores but, with the expansion of the Madia store, the total display area grows.
The signs in detail
Over the year the busiest sign was Brico OK, although the balance, compared to 2022, is negative for one store, going from 116 to 115 stores, However it must be said that, as always the sign opens a lot, 4 stores, but this year also closes with a loss of 5 stores, presenting a negative balance for 1 unit.
Immediately after we find Evoluzione Brico with a series of openings (3) in the South and a now expertise in the Sicily Region, given the latest openings in Gela and Mazara del Vallo, not to mention the expectation of a new store in Caltagirone. Evoluzione Brico’s proposal, under the BricolaRge sign, evidently finds particularly positive appreciation in central and southern Italy for conditions and offerings.
Separate discussion for Leroy Merlin, another sign that adds 3 stores to the network, although not in the classic format. I 2023 was the year of the new city format. A very specialized proposal that in some ways is very reminiscent of the tests carried out with other, larger showrooms located in the suburbs, of which Corsico was the first example, but here completely updated to the needs of the times that call for smaller outlets, conquering city centers. At the moment there are 4: Rome, Milan, Florence and the very recent Trapani, where the protagonists are windows, doors, walls and Bathroom area with all the design and installation services attached.
Other openings include Brico io’s one-two punch, net of openings and closings. Over the year, the Magione and Scorzè franchisees were closed/exited, while the Brescia store was closed. On the other hand, the four franchisees in Sam Mauro Pascoli, Sant’Arcangelo and the Brico io Selection in Castellana Grotte and Trebisacce were opened, while the direct opening was made in Soresina in the former premises of the Coop supermarket, with a total jump of two more stores over 2022.
With one opening there are then Mondobrico, with the beautiful store in Vigevano, FDT, which compensates for the late 2002 exit of Sant’Angelo Lodigiano with the entry of a new affiato in Sansepolcro in the province of Arezzo. Finally, Tecnomat, which opened in Capodrise.
On the other hand, those who have a negative balance of stores at the end of 2023 are the Bricofer Group’s brands, respectively, which together bring the group to a total of 103 stores compared to 113 in 2022. In detail, 5 Bricofer-branded stores, 2 Ottimax and 3 Self-branded stores were closed. Bricocenter is also closing 2 stores this year. These are the Bovalino affiliate in Calabria and the Rome Bufalotta direct. Two fewer stores for Brigros as well which operates in Apulia, while Bricolife increases from 90 to 89 outlets even though could count on the inputs of Sangro Trade (1 store), D.G Ferramenta (1 store), Silvano Morandini’s Briconova (1 store), and the newly opened CFadda in Settimo San Pietro, in the province of Cagliari, which also expanded its Quartu store.
A state of overall stability is reported for the remaining signs; stability that obviously does not affect the total area, which falls by 2.8 percent, as well as the number of outlets in northern Italy and the Islands, which remains unchanged. Negative by 9 stores is Central Italy, while the South takes a heavy blow with 22 fewer stores and unbalancing even more the presence of the Gds brico&garden network in favor of the northern regions of the peninsula.
Finally, as has been the case for a few editions now, the third to be exact, the geo-referenced spatial mapping of the brico sector outlets in Italy, which you can find within the downloadable PDF Report, related to the signs with 3 and more outlets. An analysis of the 766 outlets, the total sales area of 2.22 million square meters of sales space, and the estimated turnover of 5.6 billion euros.
Happy reading!
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