OBI gains momentum while Bauhaus loses ground as Germany’s DIY market shifts during spring season
Germany’s DIY and garden market traditionally accelerates during the spring period, when consumers restart renovation, gardening and home improvement projects.
Accurat analysed DIY and garden retailer visits between February and April 2026 and compared them with the same period in 2025. The latest results became available only days after the analysed period ended, illustrating how quickly behavioural shifts can now be measured through location-based market intelligence.
The analysis covers Germany’s largest national DIY retailers — including OBI, Bauhaus, Hornbach, toom Baumarkt and Hagebau — alongside regional players such as Globus Baumarkt and Hellweg, and garden specialist Dehner.
The first visible signal is clear: OBI strengthens its market position further, while several established national players lose momentum.
DIY reflects broader consumer behaviour shifts
The developments in Germany’s DIY market reflect broader societal and economic trends that extend beyond retail itself.
As German retail trend researcher Boris Planer recently explained during an interview on German public broadcaster NDR, DIY increasingly represents more than simply saving money or assembling products yourself. In a world that feels increasingly digital, abstract and uncertain, consumers are looking for activities that feel tangible, meaningful and controllable again.
People want to feel they can still shape something themselves. DIY makes things tangible again and gives people the feeling they have achieved something meaningful in a stressful and uncertain world.
What this means for the German DIY market
Three structural observations stand out:
- OBI currently captures the strongest national growth momentum
- Changes are mainly driven by unique visitor growth, not frequency
- Growth momentum differs strongly between DIY retailers
The German DIY market remains highly competitive, but behavioural data already reveals which retailers currently succeed in attracting new shoppers during the crucial spring season.
More importantly, these shifts become visible almost immediately. What traditionally required months of sales reporting or panel research can now be detected within days through real-world behavioural intelligence.