OBI unleashing expansion offensive announcing market entry in three new geographies * OBI is going to extend its international portfolio

Wermelskirchen (Germany) 29th January (PROTEXT/ots) - OBI will aggressivelypush its international expansion focussing efforts on Russia, Poland,Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary and the Balkans. On top of theseambitious expansion targets OBI is about to enter three additionalcountries, namely Ukraine, Romania and Slovakia. Medium term targeting upto 20 stores both in Ukraine and Romania, OBI plans to open another 10-15stores in Slovakia within short. First openings in these countries arescheduled for 2008.

"Market leadership is our goal - wherever OBI is present. Focussing onCentral and Eastern Europe, Russia and Ukraine as major growth markets arekey to our expansion strategy" says OBI CEO Sergio Giroldi. Based on thisaggressive growth path OBI will boost the share of turnover generatedabroad to more than 50 percent in the coming years.

In many international markets OBI already is N°1 (e.g., Russia, the CzechRepublic, Hungary, Bosnia, etc.). Growth will now be the driving force toachieve market leadership also in many new geographies.

Sergio Giroldi, OBI CEO: "We intend to further fortify our market leadingposition in Central and Eastern Europe. Convinced of our competitive edgebuilt on OBI’s strong value proposition, our superior store formats andcomprehensive DIY competence we will establish OBI as the leading DIY brandacross CEE countries. In the years to come we will invest heavily inextending our store network. In so doing we are determined to move fast andcommit ourselves to a dynamic profitable growth path."

Company portrait

With more than 500 stores OBI is the undisputed No 1 in the German marketand one of the leading European DIY retailers. Apart from Germany, theCzech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Russia,OBI is also present in Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Croatia. OBI is thefourth largest DIY retailer in the world and employs more than 38.000people. The OBI stores recorded in the fiscal year 2006/2007 an overallsales worth EUR 5.8 billion. According to a survey by the TNS Infratestinstitute, OBI is among the best-known brands in Germany with unaided brandawareness in July 2007 of 97%.

OBI Media-Contact:

OBI Bau- und Heimwerkermärkte GmbH & Co. Franchise Center KG

Corporate Communications & PR

Johanna Meessen

Albert-Einstein-Str. 7-9

D-42929 Wermelskirchen

Phone: +49 (0) 2196 / 76 1509

Fax: +49 (0) 2196 / 76 1019

E-mail: johanna.meessen@obi.de

Subscribers please note that material bearing the label "PROTEXT" is notpart of CTK's news service and is not to be published under the "CTK"label. Protext is a commercial service providing distribution of pressreleases from clients, who are identified in the text of Protext reportsand who bear full responsibility for their contents.

PROTEXT