Rainham, England, August 10—U.K. Carpet retailer Carpetright improved market share during an encouraging start to its financial year, according to Scotsman.com.
The group, which has 364 stores and 38 concessions in the UK and Ireland, said good growth for all its floor covering products led to a 3.7% increase in like-for-like sales in the first 14 weeks.
Ahead of its annual general meeting, the company told shareholders that trading had been in line with expectations with total sales up by 9.2% in the period to August 7. It estimates its share of the UK’s carpet market at 26%.
Carpetright’s House Carpets concessions at department store Allders – only introduced in the last financial year – accounted for 3.2% of the sales rise.
The departments were rolled out into Allders in the four months to March and feature a range of carpet, laminate and vinyl floor coverings.
At the time of its final results in June, Carpetright said the Allders rollout had enabled it to reach a new market sector not currently served by the group.
Carpetright, which employs around 3,000 people, has managed to grow market share and margins despite recent difficult market conditions.
At its final results it outlined plans to boost its presence in smaller towns, saying that its recently developed small store format allowed it to trade in areas previously dominated by independent stores.
Chairman and chief executive Lord Harris said today: “We continue to improve market share and have seen good growth across all floor covering products.”
The group’s European Benelux business, which it bought in October 2002, continued to make good progress, with same-store sales in local currency increasing by 6.7%.
It said it continued to make significant gains in market share in both Belgium and Holland.
Carpetright will next update the market in October, just before the end of the first half of its financial year.
