Home improvement retailer Wickes has delivered a strong first half on the year, reporting record retail market share alongside a 16.7% rise in adjusted pre-tax profit as both DIY and trade customers drove growth.
The business saw total revenue climb 5.6% year-on-year to £847.9m for the 26 weeks to 29 June 2025, while adjusted profit before tax rose to £27.3m (H1 2024: £23.4m).
Statutory pre-tax profit was £24.2m, up from £22.9m a year earlier. Retail sales rose 6.8%, underpinned by a 10% uplift in TradePro sales, with active membership increasing to 615,000 (H1 2024: 541,000).
DIY sales also delivered mid-single digit growth, while Wickes said self-help measures in its Design & Installation arm had restored like-for-like sales growth in Q2, ahead of the wider market for big-ticket items.
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Wickes chief executive 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.”
The group also highlighted operational efficiency, digital investments and productivity savings as key drivers behind the improved profitability. Wickes ended the half with a net cash position of £158m despite returning £24.8m to shareholders, and declared an interim dividend of 3.6p in line with last year. A £20m share buyback programme is also ongoing.
Store expansion remains on track, with one new branch opened on a former Homebase site and four refits completed in H1. Plans are in place for five to seven new stores and 10 to15 refits in 2025.
Wickes said Q3 trading was in line with expectations, although higher people costs and new store phasing, alongside £10m of technology investment, would impact on H2.
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