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Hagebau faces setback: 20 more stores are in danger of losing to Obi!
Landau in der Pfalz: Hagebau loses locations to Obi. Decline in sales and digital deficits will shape the industry in 2025.
Hagebau faces setback: 20 more stores are in danger of losing to Obi!
The DIY store industry in Germany is under pressure, and the well-known DIY store chains are experiencing turbulent times. The Hagebau trading association in particular is faced with a massive loss of location opportunities. Loud Mercury The chain could lose up to 20 more branches to its competitor Obi in the near future.
The environment for hardware stores has changed since the record sales during the Corona pandemic. After an impressive total turnover of 22.1 billion euros in 2020, which increased by almost 14%, there were significant declines in the following years. Sales fluctuated greatly; Sales fell to 20.9 billion euros in 2024. The six companies with the highest sales in the industry, which together generated 19.53 billion euros, were also unable to maintain stability Mercury reported.
Hagebau from loss of location
The pressure on Hagebau is further increased by expiring franchise agreements. Many of these contracts expire by mid-2026, which an insider sees as the reason why around 20 locations could switch to Obi by the end of 2025. Several franchisees have already announced that they are switching sides. The C. Ebel Group will make five stores available from 2026, and C. J. Wigger KG and Thies + Co. GmbH are also moving.
The first change of this kind took place on January 1, 2025 with Gillet Baumarkt GmbH. The trend is worrying, and the decline in sales recorded by Hagebau is fueling uncertainty in the industry. In 2024, Hagebau's total sales were 6.17 billion euros, a decrease of 5.9% compared to the previous year. Loud chip This decline is explained, among other things, by the bundling of the goods business in Hagebau GmbH.
Criticism of the digital backwardness
Former Hagebau executives are critical of the company's inadequate digital investments. Particularly during the Corona pandemic, it would have been important to invest in digital sales at an early stage in order to meet customer needs. These failures ensure that Hagebau lags behind in digital competition.
The difficulties are compounded by Hellweg's planned closure of a further seven branches. The collaboration between Hagebau and Obi could continue to intensify over the next few years and means that competition in the industry will not only become fiercer, but also more strategic. The construction market landscape in Germany is changing, and it remains to be seen how this change will affect end consumers and competitors.