Wickes has reported a slight drop in its third quarter sales after experiencing software issues.
The DIY retailer saw its Do It For Me (DIFM) like-for-like sales fall 4.4% in the three months to 30 September, which it attributed in part to “some delays” stemming from “the transition to a new software solution fulfilling customer orders”.
Wickes said it had taken actions to resolve the software issues but warned, “there will be some impact on Q4 delivered sales which will now fall into FY2024”.
The retailer added it was also experiencing a slow down in revenue “as customers are taking longer to commit to big ticket purchases”.
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Across the rest of the business, like-for-like sales in its core division edged up 1.1% thanks to a return to volume growth for the first time since the second quarter of 2021.
The retailer said it remains “on track to meet full-year expectations” of an adjusted pre-tax profit between £45.3m and £49m.
Wickes chief executive David Wood said: “Once again thanks to our amazing colleagues we have delivered a solid performance in a challenging market as we continue to deliver against our strategic growth drivers.
“In our core business we have gained further market share and achieved a return to volume growth. We have fulfilled strong demand from our Trade customers and been encouraged by greater stability in DIY.
“As we continue to rollout our programme of store openings and refits, I am confident that we have the right product offer and the most attractive locations – enabling us to deliver value for customers and shareholders.”
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