Dunelm has "never been more confident" as sales climb 23% in first half

A UK home retail chain has today announced that its sales for the first half of the year have grown by nearly a quarter.

Dunelm reported this morning (10 February) that it saw “very strong” sales growth of 23 per cent in the six months to the end of December, rising from £585m in 2020 to £719.4m this year.

This comes following the temporary closure of the retailer’s stores in the second quarter due to increased lockdown restrictions.

However, the brand saw digital sales more than double, reaching 111 per cent of last year’s figures for the same period.

Nick Wilkinson, CEO of Dunelm, commented: “In light of another strong performance, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the whole Dunelm team, and our committed suppliers, who have continued to work tirelessly throughout these extraordinary times to ensure the highest safety standards for ourselves and our customers, and also for their dedication and commitment to continuing to improve our customer proposition.

“Sales were particularly strong in the first quarter, before we had to navigate the various restrictions which impacted the remainder of the period.

“These restrictions have become more severe in the second half of our financial year, with all but one of our stores currently closed, although we continue to serve customers through our digital channels, which have significantly advanced during the last year.

“Beyond the near-term uncertainty, we have never been more confident about the future. Dunelm is a market leader with a challenger brand mentality, in a large and growing segment.

“We have a clear runway to grow active customers and their frequency across our total retail system and to realise our long-term ambitions.”