Solid sales growth for Dunelm

The company sales climbed by 1.6% in the second quarter to £490m, taking first half revenue up 2.4% to £894 million. 

There were strong sofa sales, with a positive reaction to its Beatrice range extensions, in particular Snugglers, with striped versions growing over 900%.  The  

In terms of outlook, Dunelm expects profit before tax to be within the range of market expectations for FY25,  with a range of £207m to £217m . 

Nick Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re pleased with our performance in the first half; we are growing sales and volume, with customers again responding well to the value and choice we offer across our ranges.

“At the same time, we’ve made significant strategic progress across multiple initiatives which are helping us to improve our attractive, specialist offer and continue to gain market share. 

"We have taken our first steps outside the UK with the acquisition of 13 stores in Ireland, opened our first inner London store in Westfield, and made further improvements to our online customer experience which is contributing to continued strong digital growth. 

“As we move into the second half of FY25, we have successfully launched our Winter Sale which is being well received by customers seeking amazing value across a wide choice of relevant products for the colder months. As we navigate this challenging environment, we see even more opportunities to harness our unique business model, raise the bar on our proposition and fulfil our ambitions as The Home of Homes.”