Out-of-town homewares retailer Dunelm Group has seen like-for-like (LFL) sales climb three per cent in its first quarter as it continues to focus on its growth strategy, it has been announced today.
While total sales increased 13.8 per cent to £151.8 million in the 13 weeks to September 29th 2012, gross margin increased year-on-year, rising an estimated 40 basis points compared with the same period in 2011.
Over the period Dunelm continued to expand its property portfolio, opening four superstores including one relocation, bringing its total number of stores to 118.
Further openings are also scheduled, with an additional 10 stores including two relocations already committed to, the majority of which are anticipated to begin trading later in the financial year.
Dunelm CEO Nick Wharton welcomed the robust performance, noting that the retailer‘s commitment to offering value for money during a difficult period for the homewares sector is driving its success.
He said “This solid quarter of trading reflects the unrivalled choice and excellent value which form the core of our Simply Value For Money proposition, leading to a further gain in market share on a like-for-like basis.
“Despite the challenging consumer environment, this performance further reinforces our confidence in our strategy and in the opportunity for future growth both through new stores, where our pipeline remains strong, and multichannel.”
