Homewares and furniture retailer Dunelm Mill revealed how a strong final quarter helped it overcome the stifling impact of last summer’s heatwave.
Group accounts for the year to June 28 showed how like-for-like sales rose 5.5% this spring helping to offset a 5.3% reverse during the first three months of the financial year.
Dunelm said the pattern continued a rising trend following a sunny spell which “held back performance” during the middle months of 2013, but also hailed the impact of investment in “key growth initiatives”.
Total sales for the period reached £730.2m, up 7.8% overall and 2.1% on a fair comparison basis once the effect of 12 new openings was stripped out.
The company said pre-tax profits would reach £116m for the year, following an improvement in margins and a planned increase in the rate of revenue investment.
Chief executive Nick Wharton used the trading statement to argue that Dunelm had reaped the rewards of an investment strategy designed to increase scale and improve its online offering.
“During the period we have increased the rate of that investment, ensuring we continue to provide our customers with market leading choice and expertise, helping us to maintain our differentiation from competitors over the long term,” Mr Wharton said.
“With a strong pipeline of new stores, further enhancements to our multi-channel capability and a positive response to the continuing development of our customer proposition, the board remains confident in the group’s long-term growth prospects.”