Wickes has reported a 2.1% increase in revenue to £865.3 million for the first half of its financial year, with growth in its TradePro and Design & Installation businesses helping offset a small decline in like-for-like Retail sales.
For the 26 weeks to 27 June 2026, group revenue rose from £847.9m in the same period last year. Adjusted profit before tax increased 1.1% to £27.6m, compared with £27.3m in H1 2025, while statutory profit before tax was up 1.7% to £24.6m.
Retail revenue increased 0.8% to £639.8m, although like-for-like Retail revenue fell 0.3%. Wickes said the first quarter was affected by very wet weather, followed by a partial recovery in Q2.
TradePro sales increased 5% year-on-year, with the number of active members rising from 615,000 to 671,000. DIY sales were described as broadly flat.
Design & Installation (D&I) revenue rose 5.7% to £225.5m, with delivered sales now having recorded growth for five consecutive quarters.
The company said Lifestyle Kitchens and Bespoke Bathrooms continued to generate strong ordered sales growth, although orders for its Bespoke Kitchen ranges have slowed as customers have become more cautious over larger purchases.
The overall number of D&I projects increased, but ordered sales by value were slightly lower than in the first half of 2025.
Wickes’ adjusted gross profit increased 1.9% to £317.8m, while adjusted operating profit rose 1.7% to £40.8m. The adjusted operating margin was unchanged at 4.7%.
Statutory gross profit increased 3.4% to £319.3m, with the gross margin rising from 36.4% to 36.9%.
The retailer ended the period with £151.6m of cash, compared with £158m at the same point last year. The balance followed £16.3m of dividend payments, £10m of share buybacks and £9.2m of net funding for Employee Benefit Trust share purchases.
Wickes also reported that capital expenditure increased to £12.1m from £9.5m. £6.1m was invested in its store estate, including £6m on refits and refreshes, while £2.1m was spent on digital capabilities. Full-year capital expenditure is expected to be around £40m.
The retailer completed eight store refits or refreshes during the first half and ended the period with 229 stores. It expects to open four to five new stores in the second half as part of its longer-term ambition to reach 300 stores.
Beyond H1, Wickes said trading in the third quarter had so far shown an improved trend, with Retail like-for-like revenue growth moving into the mid-single digits. It remains on track to meet consensus expectations of around 10% growth in adjusted PBT for 2026.
The company said consensus, as of 2 September, was £54.6m, with analysts’ forecasts ranging from £52.8m to £56m.
Wickes chief executive David Wood said: “This has been another period of strong volume-led performance for Wickes, as more customers choose to shop with us. Our value-led retail proposition continues to appeal to both DIY and Trade customers, with TradeProachieving record levels of active members.
“Design & Installation delivered sales remain in growth, with particularly strong sales of Wickes Bespoke Bathrooms and Lifestyle Kitchens, demonstrating the appeal of our broader offer.”
He added: “Our growth momentum through the first half has continued building into Q3, with a significant step-up to mid-single-digit LFL revenue growth in Retail”.
“Our digital investments are improving the customer experience and operational efficiencies and we remain confident in our strategy, continuing to invest for growth, including our ambition to reach 300 stores, to drive sustainable long-term value for shareholders.”
The company’s next scheduled update is its Q3 trading statement, which is due in late October.