U.K.’s United Carpets Year-end Earnings Up 24%

London, England, July 18, 2007--United Carpets Group PLC reported a 23.6 percent increase in its full-year pretax profit, reflecting an increase in individual store profitability, according to Thomson..

The retail carpet and floor covering chain posted a pretax profit of 1.433 mln stg for the year to March 31 before goodwill amortisation and exceptional items, compared with a restated pretax profit of 1.16 mln stg a year earlier.

Turnover rose 10.7 pct to 19.55 mln stg for the period from 17.65 mln stg reported in the year-ago period. The company's like-for-like sales increased by 11.7 pct compared to the previous year. Its like-for-like sales for the 15 weeks to July 12 rose 20.9 pct.

United Carpets said its trading has been affected by the extensive flooding in Northern England, which caused the Rotherham store to close for 12 days, but overall it has been encouraged by the start to the first half of 2007.