At Obi, major changes in the range are apparently imminent: the hardware store chain reacts to a media report with denials.
Wermelskirchen – The hardware store chain Obi According to a media report, the range is massively reduced. Up to 30 percent of the products are said to be affected. Apparently, the background is to concentrate on a top range – i.e. the most popular products.
That reports the food newspaper. According to the report, Obi expects two goals from the measure: progress in digitizing the company and increasing efficiency. The report of LZ According to Obi, they currently stock an average of 40,000 to 60,000 product items. Only 30,000 items are planned for the new range.
Obi is apparently massively reducing the range
The savings at Obi have an immediate impact on suppliers to the hardware store chain. Obi apparently wants them to take back numerous old products. Obi bought these in advance. In addition, according to the report, food newspaperthat orders from suppliers are now declining. There is talk of around a quarter. Obi justifies this move out loud LZ with a drop in demand in hardware stores.
Obi now presents the situation differently: Compared to that Westphalian Gazette a company spokesman said that it was still unclear whether the size of the range would change. “Where the products are very similar in their function, for example, we want to adapt them as needed and offer mainly relevant articles for our customers on the floor and on the shelves,” says the spokesman. However, there is no slump in business, he said.
In general, however, purchasing behavior is inhibited, in particular by inflation, they say. “Like all brands in the retail sector, we see a reluctance to buy and a high price sensitivity among our customers,” says Obi.
Since the beginning of CoronaPandemic, numerous hardware store chains are struggling with adversity. Compared to other sectors, however, there were ways out. In lockdowns, for example, pick-up systems could be established – and in this way, the business could be maintained. (do)