Wickes and Tile Giant grow by more than eight per cent

The retail division of Travis Perkins, which comprises the British DIY chain Wickes and the Tile Giant chain, increased its sales by 8.3 per cent in the third quarter compared with the same period a year ago. Its retail area shrank by 1.4 per cent in the same period, meaning that the like-for-like sales growth rate was higher, amounting to 9.7 per cent.
The strong performance of Wickes continued in the third quarter, with further market share gains in the home improvement market through core DIY categories and in the kitchen and bathroom showroom, the company says. Core DIY sales continue to benefit from a strong trading plan with targeted promotional activity, the success of the "online-in-store" ordering service, which is improving customer access to an extended range of products, and the continued attraction of the TradePro scheme to small trade customers. Kitchen and bathroom sales remain robust, with increasing lead generation through digital channels, good sales conversion and an increasing proportion of installation services, according to the company.
The building materials group is sticking with its plan to sell Wickes. The group aims for the demerger to be completed in the second quarter of 2020, according to the quarterly report.
Travis Perkins' Toolstation business continued its like-for-like and total sales growth, underpinned by the continued expansion of the UK branch network to over 370 branches, and a further extension of trade-focused ranges which are helping to increase sales density. According to the company, further enhancements in the customer proposition, such as a 5-minute click & collect service, are improving convenience for customers.