Pressemitteilungen

Pilsen's Newest OBI Store to Open in Two Days

Wermelskirchen/Pilsen June 22, 2009 – On June 24th, OBI – the leading Czech home improvement retailer – will open its 29th store in the Czech Republic on Sukova Street in Pilsen. It will be the city's second OBI center. The store's retail area of 12,533 m2 will make it the largest OBI store in the Czech Republic and besides being able to find an exceptional overall customer experience, customers will be able to look forward to a wide assortment of merchandise and professionally trained staff. The store will also provide 95 new jobs in professions ranging from trades such as cabinet making, masonry and gardening along with a variety of administrative positions.
OBI will be the first retailer to open at the new Area Bory shopping plaza in Pilsen. Out of the store's 12,533 m2 of retail space, 3,381 m2 will be devoted to the garden center, which will also be the largest one for OBI in the Czech Republic. The store will also include 1,481 m2 of outdoor space for construction materials. Besides its vast retail area, Pilsen's newest OBI will include other breakthrough features and amenities. "Customers can look forward to our kitchen center, the largest covered outdoor retail area and conveniences such as horizontal stacking of wooden planks and timber, real instructional cross-sections through a building and a loading ramp, which will simplify the merchandise delivery process and protect plants against frost," said Radan Bukva, OBI's sales director.
Besides its standard retail services, the new store will also offer the following:
• A pick-up zone (ramp) for easier loading of large and heavy merchandise.
• A kitchen studio with design and planning services and a wider selection of available kitchens and layouts.
• Equipment rentals – 60 m2 will be devoted to a display of equipment that customers can rent.
• Sewing services – the option to order custom sewing (curtains, cushions, etc.)
• Paint center – the custom mixing of paint colors (Primalex and Dulux brands).
• Custom ordered wallpaper – the customer will be able to choose from sample books and OBI will order their selection.
• A large floor covering center with a wide selection of carpeting and linoleum sold on a per meter or per unit basis.
• Irrigation systems – including Gardena watering equipment.
• A display of garden decorative elements and a reservoir based irrigation system. A display of garden building supplies in front of the store, including a presentation of how to use individual elements.
• A bath center – model bathrooms, ceramic sanitary ware, tubs and showers featuring not just in-stock merchandise but also a wider assortment of by-order merchandise.
• An outdoor area for building supplies featuring construction related exhibits of interiors, bathrooms, facades, insulation, wastewater systems, etc.
The store will offer both in-stock and by-order merchandise. "This will allow us to expand the assortment of merchandise that we can offer to our customers – in particular with respect to countertops, interior and exterior doors, wallpapers, ceramic sanitary ware, fittings and kitchens," Radan Bukva explained. The store will be open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and there is parking for 330 cars.
OBI company portrait
With 532 stores, OBI is the undisputed No 1 in the German market and one of the leading European DIY retailers. Apart from Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Russia, OBI is also present in Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Ukraine and in Romania. In the next few years, OBI’s expansion will focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Target is to reach market leadership in all our countries.

OBI is one of the largest DIY retailer in the world and employs more than 38,000 people. In FY 2007/08 OBI stores recorded overall sales of EUR 5.8 billion. International sales meanwhile have reached a share of 43%.

Information “What is DIY”

DIY is translated as "Do It Yourself" and characterizes the market segment, presented by the wide range of the following products:
• Building (e.g., wood, construction material, tiles, etc.)
• Technique (e.g., power tools, machines, sanitary, electrical, ironware, etc.)
• Living (e.g., paints, wallpapers, lamps, decoration, etc.)
• Gardening (e.g., balcony, pots, room plants, garden technique and furniture, etc.).