Colos Opens Belgium’s Largest DIY Store in Machelen
Belgium’s home improvement market has a bold new contender. On July 16, Colos — a sister chain of the well-known Hubo — opened its first store in Machelen, Vlaams-Brabant, transforming the former Makro wholesale site into the largest DIY store in the country. Spanning 20,000 square meters and stocking over 50,000 unique products, the retailer promises low prices and a one-stop-shop experience for renovation and construction projects, though experts caution that its price guarantee comes with important caveats.
A New Retail Concept
Colos is not just another DIY store. According to CEO Loïc Hardy, the concept is fundamentally different from existing players. “This store has a surface area of 20,000 square meters and contains over 50,000 unique products,” Hardy told Het Laatste Nieuws. “The idea is that customers, when they come here, can take all the materials for their construction project at once. No more driving from store to store.”
The store features a drive-in for large materials, open from 7:30 AM on weekdays with no appointment needed — a convenience aimed squarely at professional contractors. Colos is also open every day, including Sundays, setting it apart from competitors like Gamma and Brico.
Strategic Positioning
Colos is owned by Hubo Holding, the same group behind the neighborhood-focused Hubo chain. Rather than competing directly, the two brands target different segments. “Hubo is still strong in Belgium and can continue as a neighborhood DIY store,” retail expert Pierre-Alexandre Billiet of Gondola told HLN. “They only reinforce each other. Consider it like Ahold with Delhaize and Albert Heijn — they belong to the same company but focus on a different audience.”
Billiet estimates the chances of Colos succeeding as very high, noting that the chain has effectively preempted German giant Hornbach, which had long been considering entering the Belgian market. “By launching Colos now, they’ve actually beaten them to it,” he said. “Moreover, Colos is fully Belgian, and therefore has much more knowledge of our market.”
Price Promise with a Catch
A price comparison conducted by HLN across ten products found Colos to be the cheapest in every case. A Bosch hedge trimmer, for example, cost €199 at Colos compared to €219 at Brico and approximately €230 at Gamma.
However, the lowest-price guarantee only applies to direct DIY competitors — Brico, Gamma, Hubo, Mr. Bricolage, and Toolstation — not to general retailers. This means that non-DIY items can be significantly more expensive. A 2-liter bottle of Dettol all-purpose cleaner costs €7.09 at Colos versus €4 at Colruyt, while Pedigree dog snacks are €4.19 at Colos compared to roughly €2 at Colruyt.
Expansion Plans and Market Impact
Colos has ambitious growth plans. The company aims to open 10 to 15 stores across Belgium in the coming years, with the next location already planned for Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. The Machelen site, strategically located near the Brussels Ring road and Brussels Airport, is also set to host other businesses including a supermarket, Colruyt Professionals, and horeca wholesaler Solucious.
As reported by VRT NWS, the company is recruiting 40 new employees for the Machelen location, with bilingualism (Dutch/French) considered a strong asset.
What This Means for Belgian Consumers
The entry of Colos intensifies competition in Belgium’s already crowded DIY market, which includes Gamma, Brico, Hubo, Mr. Bricolage, and Toolstation. For consumers, this likely means more choice and continued pressure on prices. The key will be knowing where to shop for what: Colos for large renovation projects and DIY-specific items, but traditional supermarkets may still offer better value for household goods and groceries.
As Redactie24 noted, Colos is positioning itself as a challenger that combines an exceptional breadth of assortment with aggressive pricing. Whether this formula succeeds will depend on how Belgian consumers respond — and whether Hornbach still decides to enter the market despite Colos’s first-mover advantage.