CASE STUDY THE COMEBACK OF DIY IN ITALY The reasons for the DIY comeback In recent years, many consumers have increased the time dedicated to improving their homes by themselves. With the breakout of the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent lockdowns, people had to spend more time at home. DIY activities were undertaken to develop creativity and to save money, as they were a pleasant way to overcome isolation. Specifically, over 30% of Italian respondents declared to carry out home improvement and gardening work in their free time. For this reason, during the Covid-19 pandemic, DIY stores and shops registered a big increase in sales. Even though they suffered from closures at first, new stores were opened when the worst of the pandemic period was over; in Italy, for example, there was a 2.1% increase in the number of DIY and gardening stores in 2021. Consumer s habits and the future of the market According to the survey, Italians prefer to purchase bricolage, DIY, and gardening products in specialised stores close to their homes or located in shopping centres. However, the past health measures and the need to avoid crowded spaces seem to have influenced the purchasing habits of Italian customers, a good number of which stated that they intended to shop more online. As online shopping seems to be the future, the same DIY brands are developing their online stores in order to grant the same quality products giving them the possibility of having them delivered directly at home. Adapted from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/643081/top-10diy-brands-in-italy-by-number-of-stores/ The leading DIY stores in Italy As of the end of 2023, the Brico OK brand was the retailer with the highest number of stores in Italy, as they counted nearly 120 stores in the country. Brico IO, the previous leader, came in second that year. Bricofer came in third, with nearly 90 stores in Italy. Leroy Merlin, the French retailer operating worldwide, headed the ranking of the leading DIY and gardening stores with the largest cumulative retail surface. Most of the DIY and gardening stores in Italy are located in the northern regions, such as Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna. 16 Answer the questions. 1. According to the survey in the article, what is the main reason for the increase of DIY activities? 2. How many Italians taking part in the survey said they undertook DIY activities in their free time? 3. Which characteristics of DIY activities are mentioned in the article? 4. What rate did the number of DIY stores increase to in Italy in 2021? 5. Which brand was the leader in Italy in the number of stores in 2023? 6. How many stores did Bricofer have in 2023 according to the survey? 7. What was Leroy Merlin a leading brand for? 8. Where are most of the DIY stores located in Italy? 9. What stores do Italians prefer to buy in? 10. What seems to be the future for DIY stores and why? 38 COMMON GROUND comeback: ritorno to head: guidare ranking: classifica respondent: partecipante al sondaggio retailer: venditore al dettaglio