SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 1, 2025 – The 26th International BHB Congress will convene Germany’s DIY and home improvement leaders at the World Conference Center Bonn on November 26–27, 2025, pairing board-level strategy sessions with hands-on masterclasses spanning AI, logistics, retail media, and circular economy. A gala aboard the MS RheinMagie on November 26 includes the presentation of the DIY-Lifetime Award, underscoring the event’s status as the sector’s flagship gathering.
Program highlights: modernization, resilience, and “Make it Zero”
Across two days, the agenda mixes keynote perspectives (e.g., OC&C on customer-rated competitive dynamics, Hornbach’s CTO on “Technology for Home Improvement”) with targeted tracks on ESL deployments, recommerce/refurbishment, PPWR-ready packaging, and AI-enabled market research. The EDRA/GHIN “Make it Zero” initiative will outline practical pathways to Scope 3 decarbonisation for retailers and suppliers—a theme reinforced by dedicated circular-economy sessions.
Why it matters for retail operations and margin
DIY margins are under pressure from persistent cost inflation, high financing costs, and a still-soft construction backdrop. BHB’s curriculum leans into operational levers that move the P&L now:
- Legacy-to-cloud modernization with AI to cut tech-debt and accelerate assortment and pricing changes.
- ESL (electronic shelf label) rollouts to unlock real-time price integrity and labor redeployment.
- Retail media + loyalty to monetize audience reach and fund price investments without eroding margin.
- Circular logistics and recommerce to reduce waste, create entry-price offers, and meet PPWR/EPR compliance at lower cost.
Masterclasses built for execution
Beyond plenary talks, the masterclasses translate strategy into checklists and playbooks: choosing and implementing ESL, building second-life/refurb channels, optimizing packaging for recyclability and EPR, and pitching next-gen DIY logistics. Sessions feature practitioners from retailers, OEMs, and solution providers (e.g., Pricer, Interzero, Deloitte, Bex Technologies), ensuring a bias toward pragmatic “how-to” over theory.
Industry trends and competitor context
OC&C’s retail index session will map where customers see value shifting in 2025, while research deep-dives (e.g., “Neues Bauen 2025,” Dähne statistics) track channel mix and category winners/losers. Paired with recommerce and AI-in-insights workshops, the program helps chains benchmark against peers—European big-box leaders, vertically integrated specialists, and emerging marketplace hybrids—then translate those insights into roadmaps for 2026.
Stakeholder perspective
As the welcome note frames the sector’s purpose and momentum: “Die DIY-Branche ist weit mehr als nur ein Wirtschaftssektor – sie gestaltet Lebensräume, ermöglicht Selbstverwirklichung und bringt Menschen mit ihren Ideen zusammen.” The message aligns with the Congress’s design: resilience through innovation, and growth driven by customer-centric execution.
Strategic implications for chains and suppliers
For boards and COOs, the takeaway is a 12-month action plan:
- Modernize core stacks with AI-assisted migration paths; replatform where agility is blocked.
- Stand up ESL at pace, starting with promo-dense aisles; measure labor savings and price accuracy.
- Build a retail-media spine tied to loyalty; couple audience sales with supplier trade-funding.
- Operationalize circularity (returns, refurbishment, tray systems) to cut Scope 3 and improve gross margin.
- Institutionalize data-driven decisions—from market research with GenAI to store-level computer vision.
Attend and engage
BHB’s Congress blends senior-level debate with executable toolkits, making it a working forum for CEOs, CTOs, merchandising heads, and sustainability leads. Registration details, sponsors, and the evolving speaker slate—including leaders from Hornbach, toom, OC&C, Publicis Sapient, and Interzero—are available via the official BHB Congress site. The program is subject to change.