Wickes sales dip year-on-year in third quarter
DIY retailer Wickes has said it performed well in its third quarter despite sales in its core category moderating due to tough comparatives in the same period in 2020.
In the 13 weeks to 25 September, like-for-like sales were down 1.6% on the third quarter of the previous year, but up 16.3% on two years ago.
While core like-for-likes declined by 2.3% year-on-year, the company said the category’s sales were supported by a strong performance in local trade where home renovations continued to drive robust order books for Wickes’ trade customers. In addition, the company said its operational strengths meant supply shortages had no material impact on sales in the period.
Meanwhile, Wickes’ ‘Do-it-for-me’ sales were 0.7% up on the same time in 2020. Although the category’s order book remains considerably higher year-on-year, Wickes said it has been impacted by extended project completion lead times which will lead to a higher carry over of orders into 2022.
David Wood, chief executive of Wickes, said: “This resilient performance has been underpinned by our digitally-led and service-enabled customer proposition, while our agile business model has enabled us to continue to navigate inflationary pressures and raw material constraints well. We are well-placed within a large and growing home improvement market, and look to the future with confidence. I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their hard work and support as we continue to help the nation feel house proud.”
