16.1 After reading the following article, answer the question: according to the survey in the article, what is the main reason for the increase of DIY activities?
THE COMEBACK OF DIY IN ITALY
■ The reasons for the DIY comeback
In recent years, many consumers have increased the time dedicated to improving their homes by themselves. With the breakout of the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent lockdowns, people had to spend more time at home. DIY activities were undertaken to develop creativity and to save money, as they were a pleasant way to overcome isolation. Specifically, over 30% of Italian respondents declared to carry out home improvement and gardening work in their free time. For this reason, during the Covid-19 pandemic, DIY stores and shops registered a big increase in sales. Even though they suffered from closures at first, new stores were opened when the worst of the pandemic period was over; in Italy, for example, there was a 2.1% increase in the number of DIY and gardening stores in 2021.
■ The leading DIY stores in Italy
As of the end of 2023, the Brico OK brand was the retailer with the highest number of stores in Italy, as they counted nearly 120 stores in the country. Brico IO, the previous leader, came in second that year. Bricofer came in third, with nearly 90 stores in Italy. Leroy Merlin, the French retailer operating worldwide, headed the ranking of the leading DIY and gardening stores with the largest cumulative retail surface. Most of the DIY and gardening stores in Italy are located in the northern regions, such as Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna.
■ Consumer’s habits and the future of the market
According to the survey, Italians prefer to purchase bricolage, DIY, and gardening products in specialised stores close to their homes or located in shopping centres. However, the past health measures and the need to avoid crowded spaces seem to have influenced the purchasing habits of Italian customers, a good number of which stated that they intended to shop more online. As online shopping seems to be the future, the same DIY brands are developing their online stores in order to grant the same quality products giving them the possibility of having them delivered directly at home.
Adapted from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/643081/top-10-diy-brands-in-italy-by-number-of-stores/
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Soluzione suggerita: The main reason was the increase of time spent at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
16.2 After reading the article reported in the previous exercise, answer the question: how many Italians taking part in the survey said they undertook DIY activities in their free time?
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Soluzione suggerita: Over 30% of the Italians who responded to the survey.
16.3 After reading the article in Exercise 16.1, answer the question: which characteristics of DIY activities are mentioned in the article?
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Soluzione suggerita: DIY activities are a pleasant way to overcome isolation while developing creativity and saving money.
16.4 After reading the article in Exercise 16.1, answer the question: what rate did the number of DIY stores increase to in Italy in 2021?
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Soluzione suggerita: It increased by two point one percent in 2021.
16.5 After reading the article in Exercise 16.1, answer the question: which brand was the leader in Italy in the number of stores in 2023?
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Soluzione suggerita: The leading brand was Brico OK with one hundred and twenty stores all over Italy in 2023.
16.6 After reading the article in Exercise 16.1, answer the question: how many stores did Bricofer have in 2023 according to the survey?
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Soluzione suggerita: Bricofer had ninety stores.
16.7 After reading the article in Exercise 16.1, answer the question: what was Leroy Merlin a leading brand for?
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Soluzione suggerita: Leroy Merlin was the leading brand of DIY stores in Italy for the total surface of its stores in the country.
16.8 After reading the article in Exercise 16.1, answer the question: where are most of the DIY stores located in Italy?
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Soluzione suggerita: Most of the DIY stores in Italy are located in the northern regions, such as Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna.
16.9 After reading the article in Exercise 16.1, answer the question: what stores do Italians prefer to buy in?
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Soluzione suggerita: Italians prefer to go to specialised stores in the area they live in, or in those located in shopping centres.
16.10 After reading the article in Exercise 16.1, answer the question: what seems to be the future for DIY stores and why?
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Soluzione suggerita: The future for DIY stores seems to be a development of online shopping because many customers stated they are going to shop online more.