DIY Forum 2025

On April 1, the first day of the MosBuild 2025 exhibition , the DIY Forum will be held at its venue — the largest event in the industry, which brings together key industry participants every year at the beginning of the business season. In anticipation of the forum, we traditionally asked the speakers to talk about the main results of the past year, current market trends and the topics that they will discuss at the DIY Forum.

Marina Fytova, Executive Director of Leman PRO

What do you think are the main results of 2024 in the DIY market and forecasts for 2025?

The construction industry remains one of the main drivers of economic development. The individual housing construction segment, where there is a large unsatisfied demand, also gives an active impetus to the market. According to our estimates, the B2B segment will be the growth driver of this market due to construction companies, contractors and private craftsmen. We expect that in 2025 the volume of the market for goods for the construction of individual houses will grow by 10%. This changes the structure of demand in the market and affects the assortment policy of players and the range of services provided. Here we actively interact with professional teams or system developers who build turnkey private houses.

If we talk about multi-apartment housing, we see that the area of apartments is decreasing. At the same time, the share of projects with finishing is growing, which also changes the structure of demand and opens up new opportunities for the development of product categories that were previously less in demand.

Another significant market trend is the development of e-commerce and marketplaces. According to our estimates, the share of online in the total volume of our segment today is about 35%, and this trend will grow. However, the balance between online and offline will remain 50/50, since many categories of goods require consultations, expertise and the need to see the goods in person.

The market will also be positively affected by the growing interest of citizens in home, summer house and garden improvement, as well as the development of additional comprehensive services for buyers (design, engineering, construction, installation, etc.). After the pandemic, housing has acquired much greater importance - it is not just a place to sleep, people live, study and work in it. Therefore, buyers have become more careful about improving their homes and decorating. At the same time, they increasingly want to receive ready-made solutions. The share of clients who carry out repairs with the help of professionals is constantly growing and today has exceeded 40%. Therefore, one of the focuses of our development strategy is to offer the buyer a turnkey solution to his problem - from consultation and design to goods and services.

What are the main results of your company's work last year and what do you plan to focus on in the near future?

2024 marked the beginning of a new stage for us, a new page in the company's history. We announced a rebranding and a new development strategy. Last year marked 20 years since the opening of the first Leroy Merlin store in Russia. During this time, the market, customers, their expectations and needs have changed. Therefore, we decided to transform our company and rebrand, and developed a three-year strategy.

Today, we set ourselves the task of conquering the market of professional clients, while maintaining leadership in the B2C segment. We want to become a platform for the construction and arrangement of housing, which will unite both retail clients and professionals. Therefore, our new brand has the prefix "PRO", as a reference to the segment of professional teams in the repair and construction market. This is one of the key focuses for us for the next 3 years. Currently, the "PRO" segment makes up 30% of the company's turnover, our goal is to increase the share to 40% in three years and take 8% in this segment.

The next area of the company's transformation is plans to unite retail buyers who want to implement their home renovation and improvement projects, and professional clients on our platform. The latter can provide additional services and maintenance for retail clients. We see additional synergy in this: according to our estimates, one professional client can bring three retail clients. We see that buyers are interested in comprehensive home improvement solutions, so we are actively developing installation and design services. Project sales account for about 10% of our turnover, and we plan to increase this share.

We will actively develop online sales and omnichannel. Today, 60% of our customers choose a product on an online display before coming to the hypermarket. Direct online sales are also growing, when the customer goes through the entire process from choosing, purchasing the product and its delivery online. Currently, the share of such sales is 10% and, judging by how online trade is developing, this figure will grow.

What will you talk about at the DIY Forum and how will these topics help market participants develop their businesses?

At the DIY Forum plenary discussion, we will discuss with industry experts what trends will determine the future of the market, what challenges its participants face, and what strategies will help businesses adapt to changes. Thanks to an open dialogue between experts and practitioners, we will be able not only to identify the main vectors of development of the DIY segment, but also to find growth points. The focus is on the transformation of consumer preferences, digitalization, and business sustainability in conditions of uncertainty.

Why is participation in the DIY Forum important to you and what are your expectations from it?

Participation in the forum is an opportunity to hear the opinions of colleagues, exchange real experiences and discuss which solutions can give the market a new impetus. I expect a productive discussion, new ideas and solutions that will help companies develop more effectively and respond to customer demands.

DIY Forum — the largest business event in Russia dedicated to the do-it-yourself market — will be held at MosBuild 2025 for the 13th time. The forum program includes speeches by the heads of the largest retail chains, marketplaces and manufacturers of construction and finishing materials, discussions of business solutions and fresh market reviews.

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IN 2025 year volume market goods For Individual housing construction will grow on 10%