Dunelm has registered increased sales and profits during the crucial golden quarter.

The homeware retailer’s like-for-like sales increased 5% during the 13 weeks to December 28. With the benefit of new store openings during the period, total like for likes increased 6.2%.

During the quarter, the business transitioned to its new digital platform and registered “significantly more customers” on its site during the peak Christmas trading period – more than its previous system would have permitted.

Unlike other retailers, Dunelm did not participate in Black Friday promotions or other pre-Christmas discounting.

Wilkinson, Nick

Nick Wilkinson: ‘We are excited by the significant opportunities ahead of us’

Dunelm expects profit before tax for the first half to be around £83m, up from £70m the previous year.

Dunelm chief executive Nick Wilkinson said: “We are really pleased with our performance in the first half, building on the strong growth and profitability delivered last year. The second quarter was particularly strong in terms of sales and margin growth, on both one-year and two-year bases.

“The successful launch of our new digital platform during the quarter marked an exciting milestone for Dunelm. The transition to a modern, flexible, cloud-native platform has already improved our customer experience and will allow us to step-change our retail innovation capabilities going forward.

“Our customers have responded well to the new website during Christmas and Winter Sale trading.

“Our ambitious growth plans are centred on extending and enhancing our customer proposition, helping more customers than ever create a home that they love. We are excited by the significant opportunities ahead of us.”