Home Improvement World Reunited At The 9th Global DIY-Summit 2023

The world of home improvement has just returned for the 9th Global DIY-Summit, which took place in Berlin, Germany, from the 14 to 16 of June 2023. At the end of the 9th Global DIY-Summit, the delegates, using the in-app voting tool, rated this event an overwhelming 78% as 'very good' to 'excellent' with a further 19% rating the event as 'good'. Over 1,000 delegates from 55 countries attended the congress, which included over 290 of the top retailers in our sector from around the world. 

The Global DIY-Summit is the most international meeting of the entire industry, which was verified through our Voting Tool. This year over 30% of the audience were retailers, whilst suppliers are still the largest share among the different type of attendees: approximately 53% of the delegates were manufacturers.  Moreover, companies not necessarily working in the industry (for example: consultancy firms, trade fair organisations, universities, etc.) also showed a growing participation at 17% of the total.   

These figures reinforce again the internationality of the Global DIY-Summit and the vital role it plays in bringing the industry together.   It was most encouraging for us as organisers that the  delegates using the voting tool labelled our congress to be a world-class event. The next and 10th Global DIY-Summit will be held in Rome, Italy, from 11 to 13 June 2023. Over 68% of delegates have already confirmed their participation to next year’s Summit. 

Opening of the 9th Global DIY-Summit 2022 in Berlin
On Wednesday the 14th of June, delegates were given the opportunity to attend a Store Tour of Berlin. In total, a record number 350 delegates took part in the store tour, consisting of six buses visiting five top-quality DIY stores and one of leading garden centre chains in Germany. Attendees of the Global DIY-Summit Store Tour visited the market leaders, OBI, and Bauhaus, as well as Hornbach, Germany’s most productive chain.   

The 9th Global DIY-Summit bought the industry together again after a challenging start to 2023. The jubilant mood, born from reuniting the industry, was palpable; as retailers, suppliers, consultants, and industry stakeholders networked and re-connected.  

FIRST DAY - Visions of DIY in the Age of Uncertainty 
The focal theme of the 9th Global DIY-Summit was “Visions of DIY in the Age of Uncertainty”. Some of the most Internationally renowned speakers gave outstanding and thought-provoking presentations on Customer Experience (CX) and what DIY customers are really looking for today, Digital Transformation and the new face it is bringing to home improvement, Sustainability and whether this is just a trend or reality, Data-Driven decision making in the future of retail and global home improvement insights.   

The first half of 2023 has not been without challenge for the industry. Considering the myriad of external and internal pressures, the DIY, home improvement and garden industry has to act now to ensure its relevancy and success moving forwards – including attracting and engaging a new generation of consumers who are more demanding than ever.   

On the opening day, the leading specialist in global economic issues, Dr Ira Kalish, Chief Global Economist at Deloitte, enlightened the audience on the current Global Economy and the Post Pandemic World, ending with an optimistic message that inflation is beginning to normalise as the fundamental factors that drove inflation are reversing. CEO of Hornbach Baumarkt AG and one of the most well-known retail figures in Germany, Erich Harsch, delivered the opening keynote on “Moving Forward”, sharing how the Hornbach Group view acting with a sense of responsibility is a matter of simple decency.   

However, prior to this opening session, Managing Director of the Global DIY-Summit, Iñaki Maillard, took to the stage to share how the Global DIY-Summit is evolving to be a more diverse, inclusive and equality driven event. For example, the programme of the 9th Global DIY-Summit included more women than ever before, and no more paper brochures are being printed. Iñaki Maillard also launched THE DIY LEGACT PROJECT Showcase Presentation and Mid-year industry refresher.   

Further to this, Thierry Garnier, EDRA/GHIN President and Group CEO of Kingfisher plc, announced the formation of the EDRA/GHIN Scope 3 Taskforce. This new collaborative taskforce, founded by leading Home Improvement Retailers around the world, these being Adeo (Europe, South America, South Africa) Bunnings (Australia & New Zealand); Cainz (Japan); The Home Depot (North America);  Hornbach (Europe); Kesko (Scandinavia); Kingfisher plc (UK & Europe); OBI (Europe) and Sodimac (South America), will meet with the aim of addressing the challenge of Scope 3 by agreeing more consistent methodologies in how carbon data is treated through the supply chain and sharing best practices in both the reporting and, most importantly, accelerating the home improvement sector’s progress in reducing Scope 3 emissions. These learnings will also be shared with a wider learning group for all EDRA/GHIN members to benefit from.

Delegates were captivated with the particularly dynamic session from Ken Hughes, the world’s leading shopper and consumer behaviouralist, who welcomed to the stage both Maike Schnell (Google) and  thought leader Steven Van Belleghem, discussing both the seamless customer experience and the offer you can’t refuse respectively. Customer centricity is now more important than ever, and businesses should strive to be like Google: with two fingers on the pulse of the user/customer.   

Erik Cuypers, Group CIO of Maxeda DIY-Group, the largest DIY retailer in the Benelux, opened the session on Digital Transformation – The New Face of Home Improvement. Technology has an impact on everything in life and therefore must be embraced by retailers and manufacturers alike. Nick Brackenbury, Co-Founder and CEO of NearSt, reminded delegates about the importance of local shopping. Too often retailers focus on the online customer journey and sideline the importance of local stores. The Digital Transformation session was closed by Herman Konings, Change Psychologist and Trend Analyst, who inspired delegates about the amazing world of passions and positivity, trends and future expectations, and about what is and what will be.  The first day of the 9th Global DIY-Summit was closed by Christina Stathopoulos, Academic Director & Professor of Analytics, IE Business School, who broke down data into convenient bytes [sic], clarifying to delegates the differences between Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Finally, renowned speaker, Chris Roebuck, gave an inspirational presentation on leadership.   

Gala Evening: The Global DIY Lifetime Award – Presented to Sergio Giroldi, Former OBI Group CEO and Two Term EDRA/GHIN President.   
The definite highlight of the 9th Global DIY-Summit was the Gala Evening that took place in an industrial monument and unique event location: the Treptow Arena Berlin. Built in the Roaring Twenties, a time of economic boom and cultural heyday, and directly located at the Spree, the Arena and adjacent beach and welcome area provided the ideal backdrop to celebrate the industry coming together again and to crown the 9th Global DIY Lifetime Award winner, Sergio Giroldi.   

In a reverse of last year’s Global DIY Lifetime Award, John W. Herbert, who received the award in 2022, provided the laudation for Sergio Giroldi, emphasizing the special merits and qualities of the award winner. Straightforward, loyal, reliable and with a clear leadership style. These are the values that Sergio Giroldi stands for. With a career spanning 24 years at OBI, almost 20 of these as CEO, Sergio Giroldi made a number of difficult decisions at OBI, but these always resulted in the best  possible outcome. For example, leaving China at an optimal time, buying back the majority shares at OBI Italy, and preparing for his departure from OBI with an ideal candidate to replace him in Sebastian Gundel.  

Sergio Giroldi was visibly touched by John W. Herbert's laudatory speech and the standing applause of the assembled international DIY community. He thanked the community "from the bottom of [his] heart" for the recognition of his life’s work. 

Second Day: Visions of DIY in the Age of Uncertainty
The second day of the 9th Global DIY-Summit began with another rousing keynote, this time from Erwin Van Osta, Owner and CEO of Hubo and President of BricoAlliance. Erwin elucidated the audience how Hubo adapted the SaaS model into the Haas Model. Through the metaphor of a Netflix series, Erwin detailed how Hubo offer increased Services to customers, Skill building to generations, Squad values to its teams, and finally how Hubo is striving to become a Subscription service.   

Mariano Imberga, Head of Operations at Sodimac, next took to the stage to share how Sodimac, the world’s 10th largest home improvement retailer, are working with start-ups, in this case Zippedi, to make store operations more efficient. Mariano was joined on stage by Ariel Schilkrut, Co-Founder of Zippedi, who shared how the Zippedi are driving the future of Ai retail through the use of robots that navigate throughout stores and digitalise shelves, enabling efficient replenishment and visibility for retailers and suppliers.   

Marija Milasevic, Senior Consultant at Euromonitor International, finished the session before a networking break with a presentation on Sustainability in Retail. Consumer shopping behaviours are changing, with consumers looking for a greener future. Marija reinforced this through the display and clarification of detailed data collected and analysed by Euromonitor, the world's leading independent provider of strategic market research. 

The session on Global Home Improvement Insights began with Per Haraldsson, Commercial Director of Byggmax, sharing how the chain, an example of centralised retail chain in its most pure form, is  offering a unique experience to shoppers in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. Veronica Valdez, CEO of Promart, which is part of the Intercorp group, then took to the stage to highlight how Promart act to accompany Peruvian families to their dream homes.  Patricia Grundmann, Vice President Retail Media and Managing Director, OBI First Media Group, reinforced how OBI are making full use of retail media and how it offers a chance for customers, brands and retails alike. Takashi Yanase, President and CEO of GooDay in Japan, then drew attention to how the retailer is making use of data analysis and system modernization to transform Gooday into one of most digital forward-thinking brands in Japan. The session finished with Jonas Brennwald, CEO of Grohe AG, explaining how to create an empowering customer experience in an ever-changing world.   

This year’s farewell speech was provided by Chef / TV Host / Culinary Content Creator, Felicitas Then. Felicitas shared her recipe for happiness with the delegates and included a live cooking demonstration on stage that delegates were able to enjoy during the farewell networking lunch.   

In the final wrap-up, John W. Herbert, General Secretary of EDRA/GHIN, and Piet de Coninck, General Manager of HIMA, reiterated how inspiring and invigorating it had been to gather the industry and its stakeholders together in Berlin, before welcoming all delegates to join them again at the 10th Global DIY-Summit that will take place in Rome from the 11th – 13th of June 2024.   

The General Manager of the Global DIY-Summit, Iñaki Maillard, summarized the entire event by saying: “The 9th Global DIY-Summit once again fortified and reinforced the vital role the Global DIY-Summit plays in bringing the industry together. Throughout the three days it was clear that delegates were discussing and echoing how motivating and galvanizing the Global DIY-Summit is.” 

The Global DIY-Summit and its team are already looking forward to welcoming the industry to the 3rd Virtual DIY-Summit that will be taking place on 29th of September before the industry meets again face to face in Rome, Italy for the 10th Global DIY-Summit from the 11th – 13th of June 2024. 

Source : Global DIY-Summit