DFS has reported a rise in gross sales of 10% over a five-month period, despite what it described as a “challenging consumer environment”.
The furniture retailer registered growth across all of its brands and a 22% growth in terms of gross online sales.
It said like-for-like order intake growth was “positive” across its DFS, Dwell and Sofa Workshop fascias.
DFS said profit expectations for the full year were unchanged, but it cautioned: “We are mindful of the risk of near-term political and economic uncertainty.”
It highlighted the risk that Brexit “may pose to consumer confidence and lead times for the proportion of our made-to-order products that we source overseas”.
Separate to the trading update, DFS revealed long-serving chief financial officer Nicola Bancroft will retire from the business after six years.
She will be replaced in an interim capacity by Mike Schmidt while the board seeks a full-time successor.
DFS boss Tim Stacey, who took the reins from Ian Filby in November, said: “On behalf of the board, I want to thank Nicola for her dedication and service during her time with us. Nicola has been instrumental in our continued growth as the largest sofa retailer in the UK and Ireland.
”Without her support and contribution, we wouldn’t be the strong and successful business that we are today.”
DFS will release its interim results for the period ending December 30, 2018, in mid-March.
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