Our colleague Thierry Coeman has recently conducted an interview with Corine Duchenne, Managing Director of Praxis. Both the Dutch brand Praxis (184 stores) and Belgian brand Brico (154 stores) are owned by the parent company Maxeda.
The traditional image of the DIY sector as a predominantly male-dominated world is no longer accurate. For many years now, women have held key leadership positions in top hardware retail companies around the world. Female Managing Directors are now leading companies like Mitre 10 (NZ), Promarkt (PER), Leroy-Merlin (F), Stark (FIN), and Praxis (NL), to name just a few.
This shift is not merely a post-COVID phenomenon, nor simply a response to the transition from hardcore DIY to more accessible home improvement models. Instead, it represents a positive evolution, a socio- cultural transformation within retailing that benefits everyone.
It was high time then that we meet with one of these leaders to explore not only the ‘Female Touch’ in DIY, but also to gain insight into how female leaders view the future of the sector. Jacques Hayaux du Tilly, Group Assortment and Supply Chain Director at Maxeda, succinctly summarises this transformation: “Corine brings a wealth of experience to Maxeda and Praxis across various areas, including Finance and HR, which adds significant value. Her presence as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry has enriched our management team’s ability to approach daily operational challenges with a broader and more inclusive perspective”.
Our journey takes us to Utrecht, Netherlands, where the 2025 edition of ‘The Praxis Makers Fair’ is being held at the renowned Jaarbeurs. This unique event serves as the annual trade show for Maxeda, the parent company of both Belgian Brico and Dutch Praxis. While in-house trade fairs have long been a staple in retail/supply relationships within the DIY sector, The Praxis Makers Fair stands out. It has built a strong reputation for its distinct formula, focusing entirely on engaging all stakeholders including store employees, suppliers, store managers, and head office employees – in promoting DIY behaviour and skill development. After last year’s theme on “Sustainability,” this year’s focus is on “Make it Easy,” which aligns seamlessly with the Praxis brand promise, ‘For The Makers’.
Naturally, our meeting with Corine Duchenne, Managing Director of Praxis, takes place at this event. As we tour the fair, we discuss a wide range of pressing topics that many in the sector consider daily. Of course, we take a moment to reflect on the unrest caused by the geopolitical situation, which significantly impacted consumer confidence, and consequently, purchasing behavior.
Corine emphasises: “Management by example is crucial here. Our teams truly expect a strong signal to come from the top down to store level. As a management team we visit our stores for in-depth interactions and act as positive messengers”.
Taking Care from Store to Home
As we walk through the “Service Street” at the heart of The Makers Fair, Corine immediately outlines `The Makers’ mission: “To be helpful in transforming the Praxis’ business model, shifting it from a product orientated to a more service-focused organisation. This shift is underpinned by a significant investment in technology, with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) being the flagship of Maxeda”.
“Today, the DIY customer journey doesn’t end at the checkout counter at Praxis”, she continues. “We guide customers through their entire project, from purchase to use”.
An example of this is the service emails sent after major purchases, such as laminate flooring, providing step-by-step guidance on the best installation methods or maintenance practices. Additionally, Praxis expands its service through collaborations with platforms like Zoofy, www.zoofy.com, offering professional assistance with tasks such as home installations, smart light setups, or assembling a garden shed, empowering customers to do it themselves or together with us” Corine concludes.
Turning the Green Deal into Action
The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has long been sensitive, especially since the term “sustainability” is often used both correctly and incorrectly.
A key focus for Praxis is ensuring fair and safe working conditions across the supply chain. Through social audits, Praxis closely monitors essential labour standards. In partnership with Dutch Schijvens Corporate Fashion (www.schijvens.nl), Praxis helps employees to become more aware of the impact of their clothing while ensuring that all garments meet strict ethical end environmental standards, including no child labour and livable wages.
Sustainability also plays a role in how products are given a second life. Praxis works with the platform www.geredgereedschap.nl that encourages customers to donate old tools at their stores. These tools are refurbished in social workplaces and shipped to Africa, providing DIYers with essential resources while reducing waste.
All these approaches align with the European Parliament’s recent SCRD/CSDDD guidelines and demonstrate how the 6R ladder principle is applied within Praxis. The R-ladder indicates the degree of circularity. The R-ladder has 6 steps (R1 to R6) that represent different strategies of circularity. Strategies higher up the ladder save more resources. The higher a strategy is on the R-ladder, the more circular the strategy. Where R1 is the highest step.
A Learning Organization
At ‘The Makers Fair', theatres were set up at every corner to equip store employees with knowledge about core activities and market trends. DIY & Home Improvement stores often face criticism for not having sufficiently trained staff. Ensuring that customers are consistently served by DIY experts remains a daily challenge. Training continues to be a critical focus. Over the course of the two-days Makers Fair, hundreds of Praxis store employees were immersed in techniques, skills, and insights about high-tech developments and market trends.
Strength in Unity During Uncertain Times
Praxis is a retail leader in promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In this context, Lisa de Haan, Communications Manager, clarifies how Praxis has been committed to supporting people who need extra guidance in the workplace: “Fostering an inclusive workplace is not just about policies, it’s about creating real opportunities for everyone. Building an inclusive culture is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and commitment. By investing in awareness, education and open dialogue, we strengthen a safe and inclusive work environment for all employees”.
A Glimpse into The Future
Like most Western European DIY markets, 2024 was not a standout year for the Dutch market (+2.6% on a total turnover of approximately €4bn). A key challenge moving forward is increasing the average transaction value, currently just under €40.
Looking ahead to the rest of 2025 and the coming years, Praxis’ strategy will focus on consolidation and store optimisation. Consolidation is driven by limited options for organic growth (as the maximum store density in the Netherlands has nearly been reached). For store optimisation, further investments will be made to refresh each format and modernise signage.
‘The Makers Fair’ is more than just an event; its format is a leading initiative within the broader DIY sector. The English term “Home Improvement” perfectly captures the challenges we face today: reassuring end users by providing a safe home environment where all dreams can come true.
Breakthrough DIY
Through her approach, Corine Duchenne advocates for making DIY retailing more relevant to all stakeholders, particularly by mobilising and inspiring all Praxis employees to be part of the transformation.
Together with her colleague Patrick Vandenbogaerde, Managing Director of Brico Belgium, Corine forms a strong leadership duo across the Benelux, driving groundbreaking changes to seamlessly merge the physical DIY world with the phygital one. The strength of Maxeda is boundary-pushing, from Amsterdam to Brussels.
