In March 2009 the DIY and home improvement stores in Germany achieved an average of 1.2 per cent more sales than in the comparable month last year on a like-for-like basis. Garden products in particular provided a high level of store traffic towards the end of the month. By contrast, the latest BHB/GfK report, which records the sales figures of the major DIY and building stores in Germany, reveals a like-for-like sales decrease of 4.8 per cent for the first quarter of 2009. The DIY companies had to accept what were at times considerable sales shortfalls in the first two month of the year. The start of the spring trading season once again suffered badly from this year's poor weather conditions. The effects of the financial and economic crisis are also becoming evident in certain product categories. Nevertheless, the first statements made by BHB members in mid-April on the coming trends suggest that a definite sales increase is to be expected for the current month.(source: BHB)