Dunelm has posted strong sales for the 43 weeks to April 26 and its chief executive is bullish about the outlook for the value homewares retailer.

Dunelm's total sales rose 12.2 per cent and like-for-likes climbed 4.5 per cent for the period.

In the 17 weeks since the half-year, Dunelm's total sales rose 15 per cent and like-for-likes climbed 3.9 per cent.

In a stock exchange announcement, Dunelm said: “The board believes that Dunelm has continued to gain market share on a like-for-like basis.”

Dunelm chief executive Will Adderley said: “Looking ahead to our next financial year, like most retailers, we anticipate a challenging economic and trading background.

“However, we have proved our resilience in the past and, with the benefits of a stronger stream of new openings starting to feed through, I am confident in the prospects for our overall business performance.”

The retailer has 89 stores, branded Dunelm Mill, of which 76 are out-of-town superstores.