Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The family-run department store group Leekes has achieved a 12% like-for-like growth in turnover up to £70m in its financial year to March 31.
This result comes on the back of a 6% improvement in the previous year’s sales.
Leekes is an independent company based in South Wales with over 115 years of trading history. The business runs five home department stores in Coventry and Bilston in the West Midlands; Llantrisant, near Cardiff; Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire; and Melksham, Wiltshire.
It also has a builder’s merchant in Tonypandy, a fully transactional website at leekes.co.uk, a conservatory site at conservatories.leekes.co.uk and a kitchen site at kitchens.leekes.co.uk.
In addition, Leekes operates four concessions within garden centres selling conservatories, orangeries, windows and doors at The Garden Centre Group outlets in Thornbury, Swindon and Hereford, as well as Caerphilly Garden Centre.
Leekes recently acquired the Park Furnishers store in Bristol which carries a full furniture offer of upholstery, dining, beds and bedroom furniture,k as well as carpets, kitchens and accessories.
Leekes said its retail business has capitalised on improving customer confidence and increased activity in the housing market.
Particularly strong performances were seen in the larger investment categories such as conservatories (up 34%), windows and doors (up 14%) and kitchens (up 6%). For furniture and furnishings, sales were up 7%. Growth was also generated in the home accessories departments (up 23%) and garden furniture (up 40%).
Emma Leeke, managing director of Leekes Retail said: “We have continued to make significant investments in our retail business and it’s extremely encouraging to note that this investment is paying dividends with Coventry Store sales up 17% in 2015/16 and, after several years of successive growth, the Bilston Store was yet again up 13%. We are pleased to be continuing with this expansion with the exciting recent acquisition of Park Furnishers of Bristol which will add a further £10m to turnover.”
Chairman Gerald Leeke added: “With support from our banking partners Barclays and Lloyds, we continue to invest across our retail and leisure businesses [Leekes also owns the Vale Resort at Hensol in South Wales] and are delighted that our trading across the group demonstrates the success of this strategy.”
