Brico is a
Belgian hardware store
Hardware stores (in a number of countries, "shops"), sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware for home improvement including: fasteners, building materials, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing ...
chain. The chain focuses mainly on
DIY items but also sells garden-related articles. The chain has 140 locations (as of February 2016) spread over Belgium, about 95 of which are franchised.
History
The first store opened in 1973 in
Schoten
Schoten () is a Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in Antwerp Province, Belgium. The municipality only comprises the town of Schoten proper. As of 1 January 2020 Schoten has a total population of 34,311. The total area is which gi ...
. The name Brico comes from the
French ''bricoler'', which means ''to do DIY''. During the 1980s, Brico produced two brands of its own, namely Stop and Bricobi. Currently, these brands are known as Central Park and Sencys. Until 2002, Brico was part of the
GIB Group, which was sold to the Dutch
Vendex (currently
Maxeda
Maxeda is a Dutch retail company owned by American investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) which is currently a market leader in the DIY retailing in The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. When Maxeda acquired Vendex KBB (KBB = ...
). Maxeda also owns the Hardware store chains
Praxis and
Formido.
Former locations of
Leroy Merlin in Belgium have become part of Brico NV and have been reformed and renamed Plan-It. These stores focus mainly on larger DIY and decoration projects.
In 2006, the first Brico City shops were opened. These are smaller stores in the city centers (
Antwerp
Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
,
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
,
Liege,
Ghent
Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
) that focus on the most basic and easy-to-store items.
Sponsoring
Throughout the 1990s, the chain played a significant role as a co-sponsor of the
Mapei cycling team through the brand Bricobi. This collaboration not only showcased the chain's commitment to sports and teamwork but also solidified its presence within the competitive world of cycling.
Online store
In 2006, Brico responded to the changing landscape of retail by introducing its own webshop. This move allowed customers to access Brico's products and services through an online platform, conveniently integrated into the existing Brico website.
External links
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References
{{Authority control
Retail companies of Belgium
Retail companies established in 1973
Hardware stores
Companies owned by Maxeda