Soft furnishings chain delivers 16% like for like growth; Full year profits climb £3.4m

15th September 2009 | homeware | Sales at linen to beds retailer Dunelm Mill rose 6.3% in the year to 4th July and have rocketed a further 26.5% in the first ten weeks of its new financial year. The homeware chain made a pre-tax profit of £52.5m on sales of £417.1m and has vowed to ramp up its store opening programme to take advantage of low commercial rents.

The firm said its low average order values had helped it outperform the struggling home sector in the past year, insisting it was not reliant on big-ticket purchasing and that it had benefited from consumers improving their homes.

Dunelm says it plans to roll out its Dorma brand, acquired last year, into bathroom and table linen, extending it from its current bedlinen offer. It has implemented dedicated Dorma areas into new and refitted stores.

In the ten weeks to 12th September, Dunelm sales have increased 26.5%, and 16.1% on a like for like basis.