Germany's Praktiker is still the leader of the Romanian DIY retail, though it put a lid on expansion last year and reported the first sales decline in Romania. The company reported net sales of 1,091bn RON (257m euros) for 2009, down 2.6% year-on-year, amid a market downturn Praktiker put at 25-30% during this interval. Turnover decline in euros revolves around 12%, with the network going from net sales of 292m euros in 2008 to 257m-euro sales last year, calculated against NBR average exchange rate. The retailer operates 26 stores domestically, and last year slowed down territorial expansion, with only one launch, in Focsani, from five in 2008. "The impact of consumption decline over our turnover was way below market contraction, and this shows us we managed to strengthen our leading position on the DIY segment last year, increasing our market share," stated Monica Hodor, interim general manager with Praktiker Romania. The network's like-for-like sales shrank by 9% in RON and by 21% in euros in the above-mentioned interval, according to the data included in Praktiker's annual report.

Germany's Praktiker is still the leader of the Romanian DIY retail, though it put a lid on expansion last year and reported the first sales decline in Romania. The company reported net sales of 1,091bn RON (257m euros) for 2009, down 2.6% year-on-year, amid a market downturn Praktiker put at 25-30% during this interval. Turnover decline in euros revolves around 12%, with the network going from net sales of 292m euros in 2008 to 257m-euro sales last year, calculated against NBR average exchange rate. The retailer operates 26 stores domestically, and last year slowed down territorial expansion, with only one launch, in Focsani, from five in 2008. "The impact of consumption decline over our turnover was way below market contraction, and this shows us we managed to strengthen our l