Praktiker Bau- und Heimwerkermärkte Holding AG was a leading player in the European DIY sector. Praktiker, which also included the German company Max Bahr, operated more than 400 craftsman and DIY centers in nine countries: Germany, Bulgaria, Greece, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Hungary and Ukraine. The history of Praktiker Bau- und Heimwerkermärkte AG began in the late 1970s with the opening of the first four Praktiker home improvement units in Germany. In 2017, Praktiker Europe GmbH was newly founded and operates a platform for retailers and service providers in Germany through Praktiker Trade GmbH & Co. KG under Praktiker.de respectively Praktiker.com. The platform is expected to have 12 components by 2025, with the electronic marketplace being the first to go online in 2020, followed by others in 2021. The DIY stores and associated companies outside Germany in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Greece and other countries are not economically linked to Praktiker Europe GmbH.