Woodies DIY owner hails ‘very strong’ start to Irish trading year

Grafton, the building and DIY materials group behind the Woodies and Chadwicks brand, said favourable weather conditions and a recovery in activity after Storm Eowyn contributed to a “very strong” start to its trading year in Ireland against a backdrop of “subdued” demand in the UK.
In a trading update issued ahead of its annual general meeting on Thursday, Grafton said its overall performance had been in line with expectations in the first four months of the year.
Group revenues over the period between January and the end of April were £773.1 million, up 7.8 per cent from last year. The figures were boosted by Grafton’s acquisition of Spanish air conditioning and heating products distributor Salvador Escoda late last year.
Daily like-for-like revenue for the period was 2.7 per cent higher than in the same period last year, the group said.