500,000 products: Galaxus becomes largest Swiss DIY store
Hardly any other Galaxus category has grown as strongly as "DIY + Garden" over the past three years, both in terms of sales and the size of the product range. With around 500,000 products, Galaxus is now the largest DIY store in Switzerland, both online and offline. The product range has doubled within a year.
"Do it yourself" has been around since the 1950s. For reasons of money, people tended to build things themselves back then. Nowadays, "DIY" is only a question of money, it can be a sign of independence and creativity. Corona has reinforced the trend: those who were not allowed to leave the house had time to optimize it.
This is also reflected in the sales figures for Galaxus' DIY store range in Switzerland. "The range has grown strongly," says Adrian Burger, Category Business Manager at Galaxus in Zurich. "The drawing card is the power tools. More and more frequently, by the way, the battery-powered ones, even in the professional sector." Customers are looking online for solutions for the construction site and home, no longer just in stationary DIY stores. "The large selection of brands and products is an advantage of online retailing over brick-and-mortar home improvement stores," Burger says. "If I need a new battery for my tool and I know the brand I trust, that's enough for me to make a purchase decision. I briefly check the brand and technical properties such as voltage and capacity, then the click comes."
According to the company, the massive expansion of its product range in recent years has made Galaxus the largest DIY store in Switzerland, ahead of the well-known stationary DIY chains.
B2B share increased to 25 percent
Online retailing with business customers has recently gained in importance, with more and more orders at Galaxus coming from corporate customers. Professionals in the DIY sector are also relying more heavily on online retailing and taking advantage of the increased selection and volume discounts.
25 percent of sales in the DIY sector at Galaxus come from B2B customers. "Craftsmen work under great time pressure. That's why batteries, drills or saws are ordered directly to the workshop by same-day delivery in an emergency," says Julia Gerwien, Portfolio Development Manager at Galaxus. "Many SMEs don't have their own purchasing department; procurement is handled by the owner or master craftsman. He or she likes to order just as conveniently as one is used to in private."
