Wickes has reported full-year profit ahead of expectations and set out plans to accelerate store investment, as the home improvement retailer said it now has ambitions to grow to 300 stores nationwide.
For the year to December 2025, the group posted revenue of £1.64bn, up 5.9 per cent year on year, while adjusted profit before tax rose 14.4 per cent to £49.9m. Statutory profit before tax more than doubled to £48.7m, compared with £23.2m the previous year, which had been hit by a non-cash impairment charge.
The retailer said growth was driven by continued volume gains in its retail arm, where revenue increased 6.5 per cent, alongside further momentum in design and installation, where sales rose 4.4 per cent.
Chief executive David Wood said Wickes had delivered “another year of strong progress” against its strategy, with volume-led growth across all three parts of the business.
“In Retail, we achieved record market share with particularly strong sales across timber, tiling and flooring and paint, while TradePro continues to perform strongly, growing to 643,000 active members,” he said.
Wickes said TradePro sales were up 9 per cent over the year, as the trade-focused scheme continued to attract local tradespeople. DIY sales also grew at a mid-single digit rate, supported by higher customer transactions.
The group also pointed to improving momentum in its design and installation arm, which has now delivered five consecutive quarters of ordered sales growth and three straight quarters of delivered sales growth. Wickes said improvements to the customer journey, including easier booking with design consultants and a more streamlined in-store experience, had helped support performance.
Alongside the results, Wickes announced a new £10m share buyback, on top of a completed £20m programme last year, and said it expects to spend a further £5m to £10m on share purchases for employee share schemes during 2026.
The retailer ended the year with net cash of £91.7m, up from £86.3m, despite growth investments and £44.8m returned to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. It also held its full-year dividend flat at 10.9p.
Looking ahead, Wickes said it would step up investment in one of its main growth levers: its store estate. The business opened five new stores in 2025 and completed 11 refits and refreshes.
It now plans to open four to five new stores in 2026 and refit or refresh 15 to 20 locations, before accelerating that rollout from 2028 onwards.
That expansion will support Wickes’ longer-term ambition to reach 300 stores across the UK, up from 230 at the end of 2025. The retailer said the move could create more than 2,000 jobs.
Wood said: “Given the strength of investment returns from our proven store refit and new store rollout strategy, we have today announced the decision to accelerate our investment for future growth.”
Current trading in the first 11 weeks of 2026 has been mixed, with Wickes saying wet weather had hit demand for outdoor projects, although this had been offset by continued volume growth in indoor categories and design and installation.
Despite an uncertain consumer backdrop and geopolitical pressures, the group said it remained comfortable with market expectations for 2026 adjusted profit before tax. Consensus forecasts currently stand at £57.6m.
Wickes also said it would continue to invest in technology this year, including new design software for consultants, upgrades to till systems and improvements to order management, as it looks to enhance customer experience and support future growth.
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