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Wickes Group PLC on Wednesday said trading in its third quarter has been in line with expectations so far, and it hailed a ‘strong first half’. The Watford, England-based home improvement retailer said pretax profit in the half-year to June 28 increased 5.7% to £24.2 million from £22.9 million. Revenue improved 5.6% to £847.9 million from £803.2 million. Adjusted pretax profit climbed 17% to £27.3 million from £23.4 million. The company maintained its interim dividend at 3.6 pence per share. ‘Wickes has delivered a strong first half, with volume growth across the group. I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication, providing outstanding customer service and helping the nation feel house proud,’ Chief Executive Officer David Wood said. ‘In Retail, we have achieved record market share growth and have prioritised convenience, choice and speed, helping grow TradePro sales by a further 10%. With DIY, our focus on broadening appeal and innovating in strategic categories has seen more customers choose Wickes to bring their home improvement projects to life. In Design & Installation, the actions we undertook to enhance the customer experience have seen us return to like-for like sales growth, ahead of the wider market for big ticket items.’ Wickes remains ‘comfortable with market expectations for the full year’, the CEO added. The firm puts consensus for annual adjusted pretax profit at £48.2 million, which would represent a rise from £43.6 million in financial 2024. Wickes said: ‘Trading in Q3 so far has been in line with expectations. The phasing of increased people costs and new stores will impact more fully in H2.’ The company will release a third quarter trading update in late October. CEO Wood said: ‘Our proven strategy is working. Whilst we remain mindful of the cost headwinds facing the sector as a whole, continued investment in our growth levers and digital initiatives means we are well positioned for the future and remain comfortable with market expectations for the full year.’ Wickes shares rose 0.9% to 196.90 pence each on Wednesday morning in London. Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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