Wickes grows, driven primarily by its Design & Installation division

The British DIY chain Wickes increased its turnover by 2.3 per cent in the second quarter compared with the same period last year, generating GBP 483 mio (EUR 568 mio). The Retail division grew by 1.8 per cent to GBP 366 mio (EUR 430 mio); on a like-for-like basis, this represented an increase of 0.6 per cent. The professional business drove this growth, whilst DIY sales stagnated. The smaller Design & Installation division grew significantly faster than the Retail division, rising by 3.8 per cent (1.8 per cent on a like-for-like basis) to GBP 117 mio (EUR 138 mio). It focuses on the project business in the kitchen, bathroom and home office sectors.

Wickes thus closed the first half of the year with total turnover of GBP 865 mio (EUR 1.017 billion), representing an overall increase of 2.1 per cent and a like-for-like increase of 0.6 per cent. As Design & Installation also…