Wickes has reported a 5.6% uplift in group revenue to £847.9 million for the first half of 2025, with its project-focused Design & Installation (D&I) business finally returning to like-for-like sales growth in the second quarter.
Retail was the standout performer for the six months to 28 June, with revenue up 6.8% to £634.4m, driven by volume growth across key DIY and trade categories such as timber, garden maintenance, and decorating.
Like-for-like sales rose 6.4%, which the national retailer said was supported by a buoyant Q2, boosted by favourable weather and Easter timing.
Design & Installation – which includes kitchens and bathrooms – posted a more modest 2.1% revenue rise to £213.4m. While like-for-like sales remained slightly down across H1 (-1.0%), the second quarter saw D&I move back into positive territory, with a 3.5% LFL increase following three consecutive quarters of growth in ordered sales. It’s the first quarter of positive delivered LFL sales since Q2 2023.
“In the first half of the year we have gone from strength to strength, with increased sales and record market share,” said David Wood, CEO of Wickes.
“Retail sales have grown again, driven by volumes, as more people shop with us, both in-store and online. In Design & Installation, the actions we took to improve the customer proposition are driving project order volumes and as a result we have returned to sales growth.
“The continued investment in our growth levers underpins our market outperformance and leaves us well placed for the future as we target further profitable growth and value creation for shareholders.”
The company said it remains “comfortable” with current market expectations for adjusted pre-tax profit in 2025, despite ongoing cost headwinds facing the wider sector.
Wickes’ TradePro offering also delivered another strong performance, with sales up 10% and active membership rising 14% to 615,000 local trade professionals. DIY sales also saw mid-single digit growth, underpinned by increasing customer transactions.
The business continues to invest in physical expansion and digital infrastructure, with 5-7 new store openings planned for the year – four of which are conversions of former Homebase units.
Wickes ended the period with a strong balance sheet, holding £158m in net cash, after investing £8.1m in share buybacks and £11.9m in its Employee Benefit Trust.