While most people have been enjoying the recent heatwave, the weather has done no favours for the sellers of “big ticket” furniture. Yesterday, both Dunelm, which sells bedding, curtains, furniture and kitchenware, and DFS, its sofa-selling rival, warned about their future profits as Britons favoured picnics and barbecues over trips to the high street.
Falling shopper visits to Dunelm stores and lower demand have left the retailer (perhaps ironically, given all those sofas and chairs) sitting on more stock than it expected and it will have to discount more heavily in its clearance sales. Dunelm, which warned about profits in May, has had to increase its provision for future losses on clearance merchandise by about £3 million.
The latest warning continues a torrid spell for