OMICRON, supply chain issues and inflationary surges did not hinder home furnishing giant Dunelm, who yesterday reported record profits.

In the six months ended 25 December, Dunelm announced a £140.8m profit before tax, 25.3 per cent up on last year's £112.4m.

The group's gross margin went up 80 basis points as a result of higher full price sales of seasonal lines, while sales increased by 10.6 and 36 per cent on the 2021 and 2020 fiscal years respectively.

"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," said Dunelm's chief executive Nick Wilkinson.

Commenting on the results, Edison Group's consumer director Russell Pointon said: "The underlying confidence in this outlook is supported by this strong set of results."

(c) 2022 City A.M., source Newspaper