Selling into French DIY Stores: GSB Retail Distribution
Distribution through French DIY superstores (known as GSB — grandes surfaces de bricolage) is an essential route to market for any manufacturer looking to sell DIY, tooling, fixing or storage products in France. Leroy Merlin, Castorama, Brico Dépôt, Bricomarché, Weldom, Mr.Bricolage: each retail chain has its own decision-making channels, buying offices and rules of the game. Go Distribution has been opening these doors since 1994.
French DIY retail: a powerful, concentrated and demanding channel
DIY superstores represent a substantial market: in 2024, the French DIY superstore market reached €22.1 billion in revenue according to the FMB and Inoha, and €21.8 billion in 2025, a level that remains above pre-Covid figures.
It is also a highly concentrated channel: four groups hold 97.5% of the market. The Adeo group alone captures 50% of the market, including 40% for Leroy Merlin, while Kingfisher, with Castorama and Brico Dépôt, is the second-largest French retailer with a 31% market share. What this means for you: few decisive contacts, but demanding negotiations where preparation makes all the difference.
Head-office or store-level listing: two ways in
The listing process varies from one chain to another. With the integrated retailers, everything hinges on the central buying office: product file, pricing, logistics, sales plan. With member-owned or franchised chains (Bricomarché, Mr.Bricolage, Weldom), each store retains genuine buying autonomy: store-by-store fieldwork can build your presence even before a national agreement is in place.
Our approach combines both levels:
- preparing and supporting your listing application at head-office level;
- getting your ranges directly into stores where decisions are made locally;
- turning local successes into leverage for a wider listing.
For a step-by-step look at the method, read our article on how to distribute your products through French DIY superstores.
The department manager: your day-to-day ally
A head-office listing guarantees neither orders nor shelf visibility. It is the department manager who decides on restocking, promotional displays and how much space your range gets against the competition. Without regular visits, a listed product can remain invisible — or disappear at the first planogram change.
Our agents visit their stores on a regular cycle, know the teams by first name and champion your products shelf by shelf. It is this recurring physical presence, across around 1,700 points of sale under management, that makes the difference between a listing on paper and actual sales.
Merchandising, demonstrations and product placement: the fieldwork
Beyond selling, Go Distribution handles everything that brings your products to life in store:
- merchandising: range placement, planogram compliance, shelf signage, preventing out-of-stocks;
- in-store demonstrations and product days, so customers can try the product and store staff receive training;
- managing product placement during store openings, refits and seasonal changeovers;
- field intelligence: competitor monitoring, price surveys and regular reporting to your sales management.
Why entrust your French DIY retail distribution to Go Distribution?
Since 1994, our multi-brand sales agency has represented French and European manufacturers across DIY retail networks in the South of France: 31 départements covered, from Bayonne to Marseille, spanning the PACA, Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions. Our 6 field agents already work with the major DIY chains on behalf of brands such as Rapid, SPIT, Mottez and Master Lock.
We operate under an exclusive distribution mandate: you retain full control of your commercial policy, while we bring the network, the field presence and in-depth knowledge of each chain. And if your range is a good fit, we can also roll it out through builders’ merchants, garden centres, industrial supplies and hardware stores.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to go through the central buying office to sell into French DIY superstores?
No, not always. With member-owned or franchised chains such as Bricomarché or Mr.Bricolage, the stores retain genuine buying freedom. Store-by-store fieldwork often builds the commercial proof needed before securing a national listing.
How long does it take to get listed with a French DIY chain?
Allow 6 to 18 months in general between first contact and shelf presence, depending on the chain and the seasonality of range reviews. An agent who already knows the buyers and each chain’s calendar can shorten that timeline considerably.
Can a multi-brand sales agency really work with Leroy Merlin or Castorama?
Yes. The integrated chains manage listings centrally, but store follow-up, merchandising, demonstrations and restocking all happen at local level. That is exactly where our agents have been working day in, day out for 30 years.
What types of products do you place in DIY superstores?
Our core categories are DIY, tooling, fixings, hardware, storage, security and PPE. We assess each range to check its fit with what the chains and their department managers are looking for.
Do you cover the whole of France?
Our exclusive territory covers 31 départements in the South of France, from Bayonne to Marseille (PACA, Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine). It is this geographic focus that guarantees regular visits and genuine proximity to every point of sale.
Looking to distribute your products in France?
Go Distribution places your ranges in garden centres, DIY superstores, builders’ merchants, industrial supplies and hardware stores — 30 years of fieldwork in the South of France.
French DIY retail distribution rewards manufacturers who rely on a constant field presence and detailed knowledge of each chain. Tell us about your ranges: we will give you a straight answer on their potential with Leroy Merlin, Castorama, Brico Dépôt and the other DIY chains.