Run on DIY supplies at Galaxus as Swiss households fill their toolboxes
Online retailer Galaxus’s customers have DIY in their blood. In 2023, they bought over 30% more tools and workshop equipment than in the previous year. Demand has increased again this spring, shooting up by almost 50%. Compressors, saws and sanding pads are especially likely to be purchased by men based in rural areas.
Are any of your neighbours hammering, drilling or sawing right now? No wonder! Switzerland’s going DIY-crazy right now, with more and more households gearing up for home improvement projects. For several years now, the demand for online retailer Galaxus’s 250,000-strong range of tools and workshop equipment has only gone in one direction: upwards.
Before the pandemic, buying tools online probably sounded a little strange to some people. Theresa Schieder, Leader of Category Management (Do It Yourself) at Galaxus, explains: «During the pandemic, a lot of people suddenly had to get their tools online, took a liking to it and have been using ‘online DIY stores’ ever since. High-quality brands such as Bosch Professional, Makita or Kärcher Professional – brands where you know what you’re getting – are very popular with our customers. That said, newer brands such as BRW, Festool and Scheppach are also doing really well.»
Having ordered around 30% more tools and hand tools in 2023, Galaxus customers bought 46% more in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2023.
«As well as plenty of amateur DIY-ers, professional tradespeople are increasingly buying their work equipment from Galaxus. That’s boosting our sales growth too,» explains Theresa.
Sanding equipment comes out on top, compressors and chainsaws record highest growth
The most frequently ordered DIY product of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024 was sanding equipment. Meanwhile, toolboxes took second place in the sales rankings.
95 out of 99 product sub-categories saw growth in 2023 compared to the previous year, with demand for compressors (+65%) and chainsaws (+54%) rising the most. However, it seems the demand isn’t yet fully satiated. In the first quarter of 2024, Galaxus sold 114% more compressors and 90% more chainsaws than during the same time frame in 2023.
However, traditional tools such as sanding equipment, cutters or torque wrenches, as well as tool batteries, chargers and industrial vacuum cleaners also continued to grow.
As mentioned, only four product sub-categories saw demand fall in 2023: high-pressure cleaners (-4%), scribing tools (-4%), multi-tools (-7%) and axes and hatchets (-8%). In 2024, we’ve so far observed that thermal imaging cameras, special saws and snow blowers are slightly less sought-after than last year.
Rural cantons most likely to do DIY
Which cantons order the most tools and workshop accessories? Unsurprisingly, as the most populous canton in Switzerland, Zurich orders the highest quantities. Adjusting the figures for population size, however, paints a different picture:
This puts Zurich residents in 8th place. Obwalden tops the Galaxus tool order rankings, ahead of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden.
Men buy tools
Every year since 2020, more than 80% of purchases in the Tools + Workshop category have been made by men. In 2024, the percentage purchased by women currently stands at 16%.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any figures on who actually uses these tools at home.
Are you equipped to tackle even the biggest DIY or home renovation projects? Or would you rather call a trusty tradesperson for help? Let us know in the comments!
Header image: Shutterstock
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Tobias Heller
Communications Manager
Tobias.Heller@digitecgalaxus.chDIY
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