Europe Grows as Global Home Improvement Market Dips Again

The global home improvement market shrank for the third year in a row in 2025, with combined turnover falling 2.1% to €645.5 billion. The new Home Improvement Report Retail Worldwide 2026 shows where the market is still growing, and BHETA members can get it at a discounted price.

The latest edition of the Home Improvement Report Retail Worldwide, published by Dähne Verlag, analysed data from 623 retailers and statistical offices worldwide. It follows a 1.9% fall in 2024 and a 5.0% fall in 2023.

China was again the biggest drag on global figures. “Even though this has had a less severe impact on European and North American manufacturers and retailers, the trend in the Middle Kingdom is nevertheless emblematic of the subdued global trend over the past year,” says Michael Greiner, editor at Dähne Verlag and author of the study. Excluding China, the global market would still have dipped by 0.6% in euro terms.

Europe bucks the trend

There is good news closer to home. Europe was one of only two regions to grow in 2025, with home improvement sales up 1.5% in euro terms, second only to Latin America at 1.8%.

The DIY segment, covering DIY stores and hardware retailers, held up better than the wider market. It slipped just 0.7% to €473.6 billion, the second year running that DIY has outperformed home improvement as a whole.

How the biggest retailers fared

The world’s 20 largest home improvement retailers saw euro turnover fall by an average of 1.0%. Germany’s Hornbach led the table with 3.8% growth, while US operator Menards came last with a 3.9% decline.

Currency played a big part in the headline numbers. Home Depot, by far the world’s largest DIY retailer, fell 1.1% in euro terms but grew 3.2% in US dollars. Number two Lowe’s showed a similar pattern, down 1.2% in euros and up 3.1% in dollars. Groupe Adeo, in third place, grew in both: 2.3% in euros and 6.6% in dollars.

Get the full picture, with an exclusive BHETA member discount

These headline figures are just the start. BHETA is the sole UK distributor of Dähne Verlag’s Home Improvement Reports, and members can buy them at a discounted price.

For DIY suppliers, the reports offer a clear view of where retail demand is moving and which retail partners are growing. That makes them a practical tool for planning export strategy, preparing for buyer meetings and spotting new markets.

Home Improvement Report Retail Worldwide 2026 is compiled with the global trade associations EDRA/GHIN and the manufacturers’ association HIMA. It draws on data from 623 home improvement retail chains in more than 70 countries, and includes:

• Statistical analysis of the global market and its regions
• More than 50 detailed analyses of the most important national markets
• A close look at the top 20 home improvement retailers

Home Improvement Retailers Worldwide, available in European and global editions, is the data collection behind the report. It profiles 666 retail companies in detail, including:

• Turnover, store locations and sales areas
• Each company’s international retail network and group structure
• More than 1,100 management contacts and head office addresses

How to order

Thanks to our partnership with HIMA, BHETA members save up to 40%. The reports are available individually or as a bundle.

• Home Improvement Report Retail Worldwide 2026: £590 (non-member £755)
• Home Improvement Retailers Worldwide 2026: £550 (non-member £916)
• Bundle of both reports: £1,100 (non-member £1,429)

Order your copy here