Wickes reported a 4.5% increase in group revenue to £439 million in the third quarter of 2026, supported by stronger customer demand and volume growth across its home improvement business.
The retailer’s trading statement on 20 October covered the 13 weeks to 26 September and distinguished reported sales growth from a 4.0% increase on a like-for-like basis.
That distinction is important: the headline 4.5% increase represents overall group revenue growth, whereas like-for-like performance removes the effect of changes in the comparable store base and is measured separately.
The Retail division generated £331 million of revenue, up 6.0% on a reported basis and 5.6% like-for-like. Wickes attributed the improvement to customer numbers and sales volumes rather than relying on substantial price increases.
The Design & Installation division recorded £108 million in revenue, an increase of 0.3% on a reported basis, while like-for-like revenue declined 0.6%. Its performance differed from Retail, reflecting the separate dynamics of larger planned home improvement purchases.
Across the first nine months of the year, group revenue reached £1.304 billion, an increase of 2.9% on a reported basis and 1.8% like-for-like. These year-to-date measures should not be treated as identical to the stronger third-quarter performance.
Wickes said demand was improving in categories including timber, flooring, roofing and gardening supplies. The business serves both consumer DIY customers and professional tradespeople through its store network and TradePro arrangements.
TradePro sales rose by about 8% year on year in the third quarter, with membership growth contributing to the business. These customers can behave differently from households completing discretionary renovation projects, which helps explain variations between product areas.
The group opened two stores and completed three refits during the period. Store changes can support reported revenue growth but also create investment and operating costs that are separate from the headline sales figure.
Wickes reported early signs of mild selling-price inflation after a period of price deflation. The company did not suggest that inflation was responsible for the whole of the quarterly improvement, which management characterised primarily as volume-led.
The retailer maintained its expectations for adjusted pre-tax profit for 2026 in line with market forecasts. That is an outlook statement rather than a final profit result for the full financial year.
The retail division’s 5.6% like-for-like gain was stronger than the 4.0% group figure, while Design & Installation recorded a small like-for-like decline. This variation shows that the recovery in sales was concentrated rather than uniform across the group.
Wickes runs a customer proposition serving homeowners and professional tradespeople. The growing TradePro programme is linked to the latter group, and management disclosed an increase in active members alongside the sales expansion.
The two store openings affect the overall reported growth comparison, whereas comparable-store measures try to remove changes in the store base. The figures are complementary indicators rather than contradictory measures of the same change.
Forecast adjusted pre-tax profit is a separate metric from sales. The group indicated that it remained on track for the full year but had not published its final 2026 profit by the date of the trading update.
The company will need to sustain customer volumes in the final quarter for the improvement to continue. Its confirmation of full-year profit expectations does not remove exposure to promotional activity, input costs and the different purchase cycles of trade and household customers.
The statement covers the quarter ending 26 September, not the calendar quarter to 30 September.
Management described the improvement as volume-led, and the difference between the retail and installation divisions supports a more nuanced reading of demand. The 4.5% group figure captures the entire business and should not be assigned to every trading category.
The next trading reports will show whether the stronger Retail performance continues and whether Design & Installation returns to like-for-like growth. The confirmed October development is higher quarterly sales, with separate measures for group, divisional and comparable-store performance.
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