Leroy Merlin Snapshot
Leroy Merlin practices the magic of local adaptation. The company, one of Europe's largest home-improvement retailers, operates more than 330 Leroy Merlin, Aki, Bricocenter, and Weldom DIY hypermarkets in Brazil, China, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Russia, and Spain designed to meet the different home-improvement needs of each country. Besides the usual DIY products, Leroy Merlin's stores carry building materials, sanitary equipment, and decorative items. The company's Bricocenter and Bricoman outlets are medium-sized, self-service stores while the Leroy Merlin tend to be larger and offer more services. Founded in 1923 by Adolphe Leroy and Rose Merlin, the company is controlled by the Auchan Group.