Wickes gets off to a steady start to the new financial year

The British DIY chain Wickes has started the 2026/2027 financial year with a slight increase in turnover. In the first quarter (ending 26 April 2026), it generated turnover of GPD 537 mio (EUR 620 mio), an increase of 1.3 per cent compared with the same period last year. On a like-for-like basis, Wickes remained virtually at the same level as the previous year (-0.1 per cent).

However, the chain owes this increase to its Design & Installation division, which grew by 6.4 per cent (4.3 per cent like-for-like) to GPD 145 mio (EUR 167 mio). By contrast, the significantly larger Retail division, with turnover of GPD 392 mio (EUR 453 mio), fell slightly short (-0.4 per cent) of the figure for the same quarter last year; on a like-for-like basis, it was down by 1.7 per cent. In its quarterly report, management attributes this primarily to the exceptional rainfall, which it says significantly…