In a shrinking market, German DIY group Obi is adopting an assertive stance: with more franchise partners, a more focused product range for professionals, and a renewed focus on in-store marketing, CEO Sebastian Gundel aims to generate an additional half a billion euros in revenue.
Franchising as a growth engine
According to Gundel, Obi is 1.5 percentage points ahead of the industry this year, which shrank by 1.2% in the first three quarters. “We expect to achieve an increase in revenue,” he told Lebensmittel Zeitung. Last year, Obi achieved gross sales of 8.2 billion euros and a pre-tax profit of 122 million euros.
