Dunelm delivers ‘record performance’ as profits and sales rise

For the 26 weeks ended December 25 2021, Dunelm’s pre-tax profits rose to £140.8m, a 25.3% increase from the same period in 2020. 

The retailer also reported that total sales also grew by 10.6% to £795.6m, with digital sales now making up 33% of all purchases. This marked a 2% decline from the same period last year.

The number of active customers now stands at 13 million, a 6.3% increase over the year.

Net cash stood at £47.7m, down from the £140.6m recorded in the retailer’s interim results last year. Free cash flows were up year on year to £106.3m. 

Dunelm added that trading to date in the second half of the year, including its winter sale, had been “encouraging”, with the retailer expecting that pre-tax profit for the year will be in line with recently upgraded expectations.

“When we announced our interim results in 2020, we were weeks away from the world being turned upside down”

Chief executive Nick Wilkinson

Chief executive Nick Wilkinson said: “Together we have navigated another period filled with significant and evolving external challenges and delivered a very strong performance in the first half, with continued growth in customer numbers, further market share gains, record sales and particularly strong profitability.”

“When we announced our interim results in 2020, we were weeks away from the world being turned upside down. Two years later, we are moving forwards as a bigger, better business, with more capability, more resilience, more ambition, and delivering accelerated growth.”

“We have not only worked hard and innovated to enhance our customers’ experience across all channels and categories, but have also continued to develop our customer proposition and capabilities at pace to support our future growth.”