DFS cheers sales jump, with sofa demand high during the pandemic

Sofa retailer DFS has benefited from the lockdown trend for home improvements, with sales and profits jumping in the first half.

The chain said revenue rose 17.3% to £572.6 million in the six months to December, and pretax profits increased by £56.2 million to £72.1 million.

The company added that the order bank is currently over £65 million higher in revenue terms than the prior year equivalent date. Growth has come despite disruption from store closures at various points due to Covid-19 lockdowns.

Chief executive Tim Stacey said: “Our business has proven to be resilient throughout the period despite showroom closures and a significant amount of external disruption in our supply chains.”

The boss added: “The homeware market has performed relatively well during this pandemic compared to other retail and leisure categories.”