Dunelm quarterly sales rise 1.1%, full-year profit outlook held

UK home textiles and homewares retailer Dunelm reported sales of £433m for the 13-week first quarter ended 26 September 2026, up 1.1% year on year, against a prior-year quarter that had grown 6.2%.

Hot weather hit the early weeks

According to the company, sales fell by about 3% in the first six weeks, a period of exceptionally warm weather, before returning to growth of about 4% in the final seven weeks. Store-enabled like-for-like sales declined 0.8%, while digital rose one point to 41% of total sales. Gross margin improved by 10 basis points, helped by currency movements.

Made to measure grew by double digits

Dunelm said its made to measure category, which covers curtains, roller blinds and other made-to-measure window products, grew by double digits. For curtain fabric and made-to-measure suppliers, this demand in the UK market is a signal worth tracking.

Full-year outlook unchanged

The company maintained its expectation for full-year adjusted profit before tax, broadly in line with the previous year. As the benefits of its plans are weighted towards the second half, first-half profit is expected to be below last year.